


Iron Maiden

by GloriousSanity



Category: Iron Man (Comics), 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: Action/Adventure, Drama, F/F, F/M, Hatsume Mei as Iron Man, More Aware Hatsume Mei, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-16
Updated: 2019-08-13
Packaged: 2019-10-29 19:59:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 12
Words: 92,609
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17814560
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GloriousSanity/pseuds/GloriousSanity
Summary: Next time on Iron Maiden…Hatsume: Yahoo! I am so ready to win this tournament, but these challenges are crazy, though!Midoriya: Hatsume! The tests look very hard and even I am having trouble getting around! How are you fairing?!Hatsume: I'm doing great, but I haven't begun to play!Midoriya: What does that mean? Are you holding back?!Hatsume: Maybe!Midoriya and Hatsume: Sports Festival Part 1! Hatsume meets Bakugo!





	1. Inspiration

_Quirks. You know what they are. These special DNA strands in our genes that grant us special abilities at random. We never know what we'll get, if we do get one that is, and how flashy it will be. Do I really need to go over them?_

_I'll also assume you know the history of Quirks when they were first discovered. If you don't, I'll give you brief run down on the history. Quirks are discovered due to a glowing baby; soon more started appearing, people thought it was good while others said no, war happened till the government said heroes are now a job, everyone lived happily ever after (or at least should have instead of crying about it more)._

_But none of that matters. You're reading this because you are interested in me, and why wouldn't you be? I created most of the simple, and most complex things in life today. From a simple miniature robot that's sole purpose is to pass butter on your table to the freakin' Oasis for Virtual Reality. Yeah, I make life awesome. But…you aren't here for that. You're here because you want to know the why. Why am I a hero? What drove me to be one? Why the hell did I marry that guy? Okay maybe not that last part, but still, why am I a hero? Well, I'll tell you why. This is not only the story of how I became the most intelligent being on the planet, but also of how I became the 2nd greatest hero. …What? Were you expecting number 1? Pfft, no one can beat Deku._

_Let's start off with my childhood for a brief moment._

_I was only 4 when my Quirk was manifested, but as exciting as it was, I learned that it was almost useless. My Quirk wasn't a physical one, nor was it a mental one. All it could do was let me see up to 5 kilometers or 3 miles, away from my current position. To some, it was cool, but to most…it just meant they could bully me._

_"Hahahaha! Your Quirk is useless!"_

_"Why do you want to become a hero? You can't even fight!"_

_"Seeing far away? You won't need that when my fist is in your face!"_

_"You will never be a hero!"_

_"Yeah, Hatsume! You will never be hero with a Quirk that pathetic!"_

_Everyone at school kept pushing me around because of this. I tried to keep to myself all the time, but they would always keep coming and remind me how unlucky I am._

_It never got easier in middle school either. Some of the same bullies went to the same middle school as me, and...it really only got worse. There were times when they pushed and shove, slam me into a wall, throw my stuff everywhere, destroy my work, and at one point in 8th grade, accused me of looking at some boy's sexual reproduction organ, AKA, his penis from a far away distance._

_Now, you're probably asking yourself, how could they do such horrible acts to a poor girl like me? Simple. They can. No one punished them for it, and even when I did tell someone, which was all the time, they tell me "they'll handle it." They never did. So, what choice did I have but to take it? I could have fought back, but what would that prove other than I let them win? I never let the villains win; I will always win because heroes need to win in order to save the day. Maybe they lose a battle or two, but never the war._

_Of course, I was utterly depressed at school, but at home, the situation was better. My family had Quirks too. My father's quirk was only able to make him see more colors than the average eye can see. As for my mother, her eyes were able to see in the dark, night vision. Those weren't in demand, so my dad became a brilliant artist while my mother didn't want to be a hero or even work a job. She just wanted me in her eyesight. Her small, pink-haired, crazy, somewhat self-centered, mechanic princess. You really don't need to know much about my childhood life, so let's skip to the juicy stuff._

_My house was next to a recycling center, and the owner who worked it didn't mind if I used some of his parts because he felt it would expand my imagination and it was good to see it reused, and boy did he ever make a great decision. Ever since I rebuilt a toaster, it became a hobby to rebuild things; then I built random things, then it got crazy. A little too crazy. Suddenly, I had a puppy. A robot puppy. It ate, played, ran, pooped and pissed, etc. Her name was Sprocket. I'm getting off track here. For the sake of this story, let's go to the part of my life where I knew I was going to be a hero no matter what._

* * *

My name is Mei Hatsume; I'm 15 years old, and I love to build. I'm obsessed with it just as much as I am with heroes. My Quirk is called, 'Zoom', and it allows me to see up to 5 kilometers or 3 miles (as I already mentioned earlier). If I had learned anything in life, it would have been that there's nothing more thrilling in life than discovery. Discovery is what brought humanity to the current position it is in today. From when fire was discovered, to discovering tides are made from the moon, to the laws of physics, metals, medicine, the elements, and so much more. And now we have today's most important discovery: Quirks. Not even the sky's the limit to discovery, and I am in love with it!

Right now, I was in the recycling center doing my usual thing: Building. "Ooooooh let's see what this does!" I say, as I hold up a rusty, unwashed, cube in my hands. I am in my regular attire: protective goggles on my head, my hair pink and asymmetrically styled while sporting two longer strands on the right side of my face, fingerless gloves and a black sleeveless t-shirt with a mechanics jumpsuit. "If everything is going according to plan, then this cube should be worth it for parties! What do you think, Sprocket, will it work?!" I say, turning to my puppy.

She was small, grey, made out of metal, and had the body of a shih tzu. She's actually not a puppy anymore, but she's so darn cute she is to me! "Bark!" She said, wagging her tail.

"Of course it won't, it's my first time testing it!" I yell out, having no idea what Sprocket said. I press a button and toss it into the air. The cube flashes and begins to levitate for a bit. At first, it was glowing brightly as expected. "Yeeeees." I say, watching it with a gleeful smile. Suddenly, it grows too bright and explodes. "Welp, I figured that would happen! Time to redo it-" I heard a beeping noise and checked my watch, which was made out of gears, and it was 6:30 pm. "Tomorrow!" I finish saying. "Come along, Sprocket, we must go home to mommy and daddy!" I say, adjusting my goggles and running out the center with Sprocket tailing behind me.

It took me a few minutes, but I was home. My home was a one story house that had black roof tiles, a brick style design for the walls, and resembled a western style than the traditional style of houses. To the left, we have a garage big enough for our car, a redone version of the 2018 Acura RLX. To the right, we had a lawn with beautiful green grass and a small pond containing Lotus flowers. Nothing fancy or too special.

Immediately, I grab my keys, turn the lock, and open the door. "I'm back!" I yell out to my parents. Sprocket and I enter the house before I close and lock the door. The inside of my home was your traditional and generic Japanese home style. I scrape my shoes on the mat, take them off, and place them by the door before walking to kitchen. My dad and mom were at the table having tea. My dad was a middle aged man with a red, shag cut hairstyle; black eyes, and some wrinkles on his face, but had a caring and soft face. His body structure was toned, and it makes sense since he travels a lot given his job as an artist and carries most of his supplies which weighed a lot. My mother had that same face, but without the wrinkles. Her hair was black, long and straight. Her eyes were golden, and her body structure was slim.

"Welcome back, Mei." My dad said, patting the seat next to him for me to join him. I smile widely and sat there, with Sprocket following me and sitting next to me. My dad smiled at me as he gave me the tea they were drinking, "It's Earl Gray, we decided to go simpler today instead of our usual complicated ones." My dad said as I drank my tea slowly.

"Still delectable, though!" I say loudly, enjoying my tea.

"Hush sweetie, you're inside now. You know the rules." My mother said, smiling at me as well. How they put up with me on a daily basis I will never know, but I know they love me just as much as I love them.

"Sorry, mother." I say quickly, smiling back. "So daddy, anything new for work?" I ask him, knowing that he might just leave again for a week.

"Not this week, you know this week is a special week." My dad replied, taking a sip from his tea.

"It is?" I ask, tilting my head.

"Mei, you need to start paying attention to the dates more often." My dad sighed but chuckled, "It's your birthday week, princess."

"Oh. That. Okay then." I don't really care about my birthday to be honest. Congrats, I lived another year, why do I need to celebrate that?

"Are you not that excited for your birthday anymore?" My mother asked me, putting her cup down. She always tries to make a big deal out of my birthday whenever it comes around, "It's been years since you were last excited for it."

"Well… I just don't see a point." I reply, being as respectful as possible, "I mean, it's just celebrating that I lived another year in the world. What difference does that make it to the other days?"

"Because this is the week where our most precious experiment was born." My dad said, ruffling my hair.

"Daddy!" I say to him, swatting his hand away from my head. I hate it when he does that because then my hair gets stuck in my goggles and it takes a long time to get them out of the gears and sprockets in them.

"But that's also not the only thing." My mother said as she pulled out an envelope. She hands it to me as I look it over, and my eyes grows. The letter was from U.A, the most prominent Hero High School in the world.

"Yes! The letter is here!" I look at my parents, not able to hold my excitement, "Can I go see if I got accepted please?!"

"If we didn't want you too; we wouldn't given it to you." My dad sarcastically said to me with an amused look.

I quickly left the table and ran into my room. My room was an organized mess as it was filled with inventions everywhere. There was no space, besides a walkway that was to my computer or to that comfortable thing in the corner that I can lay down on that I rarely use. I quickly open up the letter and find a projector in it. I place it on my desk, press the play button which in turn shows a projection, and on the screen was the newest teacher of U.A. The best hero ever to exist in history, All Might!

"I am here as a projection!" All Might says.

"I see that." I simply say, a little amused by this.

"You have passed the written exam! In the practical exam, you scored a total of 39 points! 30 villain points, and 9 rescue points! That means, you have passed the Practical Exam too! With that, I am proud to say this! Congratulations Young Hatsume, you have been enrolled into U.A!" All Might said with his signature determined and commanding voice.

I couldn't believe my ears. I….passed. I passed. "I passed. I passed! I PASSED!" I screamed out loud. This was the second best day ever (first being Sprocket's birth)! I was about to run out of the door, but then I heard something from the projection.

"However!" All Might said, his voice was now more serious. I pause and look back, "There is a technicality here." That caught my interest, so I sat back down on my chair and listened. "You see, you did pass, however, you did not use your Quirk at all. Instead, you used gadgets to your advantage. Although it is allowed to use such items, you signed up for the hero course. I'm sorry to say, but that disqualifies you from entering the hero course."

My world stopped for a moment. "Wait…what?" I lost all of my excitement, my smile completely wiped away and my mind blank.

"One of the stipulations to be eligible for the hero course is to use your Quirk during the exam. You did not once use it, and if you did, it wasn't one that was noticeable. The hero course is meant for those with physical or mental fighting Quirks and nothing else. It says here in your records that you do have a Quirk, but only allows you see to see far away. That holds no value when it comes down to head to head combat." All Might said to me, his smile replaced with a straight face. "Instead, you will be placed in the Support Course. I hope you understand Young Hatsume." And with that, the projection ended.

I sat there processing everything. My mind may have been blank, but I could feel emotions that I was familiar and unfamiliar with flowing through my veins. All Might just told me that I couldn't do it. That my Quirk was useless when it came to fighting. "I'm…useless…" That was all I could grasp at the moment. I was reminded of all the bullies who told me I was useless, that my Quirk was useless, and that I will never be a hero. And now, now they were proven right. I got up from the chair, and went straight to my bed and sat on it, holding my pillow close. I just couldn't believe it. I can't believe it, but…All Might said it. "My Quirk…is useless…"

What felt like hours to me, was only about 20 minutes in reality. My parents had opened my door carefully and poked in to see me on my bed and with my face into my pillow. "Mei?" My mother said softly. I scooted away slightly, ashamed of what I was born with. "Mei…" My mother and father entered my room and sat on each side of me. "Were you rejected?" My mother asked me, putting an arm over my shoulder.

"No…" I said into the pillow, not looking up to face either of them.

"Then why are you sad?" My father asked me, looking at the small projector on my table.

"Watch the video on the projector…" That's all I could muster to them. I didn't want to be around anyone right now. I felt Sprocket jump onto the bed and crawl into my lap, whimpering a little as she laid on my lap. My father got up, grabbed the projector and played that dream crushing message once again.

Once it was over, I could feel my parent's faces and emotions change too. They were upset, but nowhere near as much as I was. I felt two hugs, both from them on each side of my body. "Mei…" My father began, "It's okay. You can still help people; it'll just be different from what you wanted originally."

"That's not what I want!" I yell out, throwing my pillow towards the door in frustration. Sprocket jumped off my lap, scared. "I don't want to be a support hero! I want to be a real hero!" I say to them both as tears are running down my face as I seethe in anger.

"Honey we know, but…" My mother words trailed off because she knew there was no way around saying what I already know.

"But my Quirk is useless and I hate it! It only proved those bullies right from the start!" I couldn't control myself. I only wanted one thing in life, and that was to be a hero. Yet, I couldn't be one because of what I was born with a stupid, useless Quirk.

"Don't say that Mei." My father said, a little firmly too, "You can't control what you are born with, but that doesn't make it useless. Look at me. I wanted to be a hero too, but my Quirk didn't allow that, but I'm still happy with where I am." My father tried to comfort me with his story, but that wasn't why I was upset.

"Daddy, I just…"I look up at him, choking a bit, "I wanted to prove everyone wrong…To prove to everyone who said I couldn't be a hero to eat their own words, to show them that I am capable. That I am able to be a hero...But…" I started to break down as I sobbed a bit, "I-I-I w-wanted to prove to y-you and m-m-mommy, and to myself that I could be...that I could…" I never got to finish as both of my parents hugged me tightly, and I broke right there. I let out all of what I could through my cries and sobs.

"You don't have anything to prove to us. The fact that you always fight for what you want says enough about you, Mei." My father told me while I hugged him tightly and buried my face into his chest, wetting it with my tears.

It had taken a while before I was calm enough to control my emotions. I told my parents I wanted to be alone, and they left me, but not before they gave me a kiss on my forehead as they attempted one last way of making me feel a little better. Sprocket stayed in my room, and went to a little corner of my bed and sat there. Once the door was closed, I looked at Sprocket. "Am I really useless, Sprocket?" I asked her. Sprocket walked over to me, got on her hind legs, and licked my face with her cold metal tongue. She was trying her best to make me feel better too. I sighed, grabbed her gently, and laid on my bed with her in my chest. "I guess that's your way of saying no…"

With that being said, I reached over and grabbed my phone from the charger and my earplugs. Whenever I feel down, I always listened to heroes talking about why they became heroes, or what makes a hero. I would watch the video of All Might's debut, but I grew out of it at some point. I watched so many videos to cheer myself up, but to what avail? Nothing helped me get my mind off of the dagger that pierced my heart.

Do I love to build? Yes. The support class is meant for builders, for imaginative people like me to build and sell to businesses and heroes who may need an invention to help them, or an upgrade for whatever they may need one for. But that wasn't my passion. I didn't just want to make money, I wanted more then that. I didn't want to be stuck in the back like some waterboy for the sports team. I wanted to play, to fight, to help the people who needed a hand. Support class was made for people like me, but the purpose was different.

I was scrolling through so many videos till I found an interview from about 80 years ago. It showed this man, a very handsome and shaved man on the front, but he also wore something on his hand. It looked like it was made of metal. Just out of boredom, I tapped on it. The video was 7 minutes long. The person in question was this man named, 'Tony Stark', and he was doing an interview for the Daily Bugle. Most of the questions were pointless, and I can't even remember them. Out of sheer luck, I decided to pay attention on the final question.

_"You, in the back, say your question. This will be last one I'm answering."_  Tony Stark said, pointing to a reporter behind the camera.

_"What makes a hero in your eyes?"_  The reporter asked him. At this point, I was about to turn off the video. I didn't know why I bothered trying to cheer myself up if I knew the truth already. But I didn't, and I am so happy I never did. The camera turned and showed a hero's costume I never saw before. It was gold and red human shaped suit made of some type of metal. Tony Stark got into it, and then his mask opened to show his face. What Tony Stark said next would ultimately change my life forever.

_"Heroes are made by the paths they choose, not the powers they are graced with. I was born with superior intelligence, and that didn't help me punch out villains. So when I was rejected my request for a hero license, I didn't roll over and bitch about it. Instead, I used my intelligence to build a suit. A suit that everyone knows today as 'Iron Man'. I was rejected and told I could never be a hero, but look at me now. I'm one of the top three heroes in the world, and I'm just in a suit of armor. When someone says you can't do it, your first words should either be, 'Why can't I?' or 'Yes I can.' Everyone is capable of being a hero. It just depends how much work you're willing to put into it to become one."_  Tony Stark then put up his hand as the palm glowed, showing off what his 'Iron Man' suit was capable of. The video ended there with Tony's hand in front of the camera and the palm of his hand glowing.

I stared at it for a few moments, before I replayed the last part again. Then again. And again. And again. And Again. I replayed it so much that I could recall all of the words Tony Stark said to heart. At the same time, I had another tab opened that was looking up who Iron Man was and what I found not only amazed me but brought my hope back from the brink. "This man…he did bad, but he'd tried to make it up afterwards by being a hero. He wanted to be a hero, but never stopped when everyone said no to him. Instead, he built a suit and much more to be a hero until he was hailed as one. This man…." I knew then what I wanted to do. My hope restored, my ambitions brought back, and my mind now racing. I looked at the projector and grabbed it. "I accept, but I will be the one to prove you and everyone wrong. I'll get into that hero course, I will be a hero, and no one is going to stop me." I could feel a grin growing on my face, as I put my phone back on the charger and fell asleep. This is where everything changed for me, and I was in for one hell of a ride and discovered a new hero, and a new idol for me to look up too.


	2. New Allies

A few days have passed since the first day of school, and whatever was said about U.A was an understatement. The school was as big as a University campus, or maybe even bigger. The main gates were so massive that I assumed it was for any giants but I never saw any. The main building itself was shaped in the letter "H" to represent the word 'Hero.' If that wasn't enough, it is surrounded by an extraordinary amount of nature that it would fool people into believing the school was built in a national park. The overall architecture, style, and agriculture left me blown away.

My first day of school was fair. I am in Class 1-H, the official Support Class; I met my classmates, and my teacher who is a Pro Hero named Power Loader. He wears a yellow helmet that reminds me of the claw of a scoop from construction machines, but he's always shirtless which I don't mind because I don't care. His hands are oversized for his body, and his left hand have orange tips on his fingernails so I assume that's where the power of his Quirk originates from. His personality is straightforward and sort of aggressive, but behind that armor you can see a caring hero who wants to push us to outperform our own expectations and his too.

First we had orientation to go to, but I won't go into detail about it. After that we went back to class where Power Loader revealed to us the purpose of the class: Build and build more. The purpose of the Support class is for us to build contraptions, or in my case 'Babies', so we may have our inventions sold to businesses. I don't mind that; I would love to make me some green. The other classes I have are English, Modern Hero Art History, Modern Literature, and Math but they aren't really important to me.

For the few days I have been here, I have to say the school does surpass my expectations about how phenomenal it is. The food is delectable; the teachers are fun and respectable, and though it's a big school, it has an easy and understandable navigation system so we don't get loss when traveling from one place to another. It really proves why it is the number one high school in the world. Though there is one downside to it from my personal preference. Every day I pass by Class 1-A on my way to class, and I am just reminded of what the projection of All Might told me and the pit of depression I was put into for a few minutes. Those few minutes felt like a lifetime to me. I can't even begin to explain the hopelessness I felt, and how I believed that I was only a burden to my parents. However, like all things; we mustn't give up even though all seems lost. It just takes a little push to get things going again, and Tony Stark gave me that push.

* * *

I spent another productive day building a new baby. This baby, that I was building was a jetpack. I've always wanted to build a jetpack but the parts I needed to construct one were illegal to toss into a trash or recycling bucket, so I was never able to refurbish one at the Center. My classmates and I are on good terms surprisingly. They leave me alone while I work, and I won't bug them. After about three days of school, they got annoyed of me and I understand why. I'm a handful to deal with, and I genuinely hate to answer questions that are deemed 'too simple' in my eyes.

The lunch bell had rung, but I never left the room. "There's still more work to be done on this baby!" I yelled out as I heard words flying around about me from my classmates. I tuned out those people a long time ago, so I wasn't focused on what they said.

"At least get something to eat, Hatsume." Power Loader told me while he was putting away the last of his tools, "Having a full stomach increases work output, and helps the brain process much more efficiently. You need the food."

"Food will come later! Time is unlimited, but also ironically limited! For we do not know when the last moments of our existence will come to a screeching halt, and fall like the Hindenburg!" My mood swings depending on the situation I am currently performing, and since I was bullied and alone a lot in school, I have almost no social skills nor complete understanding of basic human needs. Such as not knowing when I offend someone.

"Mei. I'm not debating this. Your projects will still be here, and I'll let you eat here. Just go get some damn food!" Power Loader raised his voice with clear frustrated. I have that effect on him and lots of others.

"Uuuuugh fine!" I pout as I walk out of the workshop. As I was walking out, though, I had to pass by Class 1-A again. Everywhere I walk it always ends up with me having to pass by that class. Can I not tear myself away from it? Do I go by Class 1-A constantly so I get motivation to strive to be a hero? Why do I keep doing this to myself if it hurts? And who's that pink girl and why is she getting closer?

"Oof!" I wasn't paying attention and lost in my own thoughts that I accidently walked into her. "My bad, I was in deep thoughts about why I keep walking by this class!"

"Bah! It's alright!" The girl said, completely oblivious to my last sentence. She was pink, had two yellows eyes like me, a rather slim yet fit body, poofy hair that was almost irresistible to touch, and had two cute horns sticking out of her hair. Was she an alien? Can I study her if she is? "Oooh I like your goggles!" That was shocking to hear because no one compliments my inventions besides my parents.

"Thanks! I made them myself!" I say as I point to them, "These help me see from far away distances more further then my Quirk's limits!" I say with pride in my voice.

"What's your Quirk?" She asked me with a smile. Okay, she's pretty nice, and I'm surprised on the inside because no one is ever nice to me outside my family.

"'Zoom'. I can see up to 5 kilometers or, in other words, 3 miles." I inform her, but with a bit of disdain in my voice.

The pink girl then had a giant grin on her face. "That's really cool!"

I felt as if entire universe had stopped expanding because of that comment. Cool? How is my Quirk cool?! It's useless! I shake the thoughts out of my head, so I could respond, "How is it cool?"

"Well for one, you'd be really great at spy missions! I mean, you wouldn't need to get close or use binoculars or whatever!" This girl was getting excited about my Quirk; it's kinda nice to know someone takes interest in it.

"That is true! I did not consider that option!"Although it was true I didn't consider the use of spy missions, that doesn't mean I have changed my opinion about my Quirk. "Who are you by the way?" I ask quite bluntly.

"I'm Mina Ashido! I'm from the hero course!" Mina said as she stuck out her hand with a bright smile.

Hero course huh? I guess she has a special Quirk then. I shook her hand widely, and smiled back as well, "I'm Mei Hatsume, and I'm from the Support Class!" I was shaking Mina's hand with a certain amount of force that her whole body started to shake with it. Once I let go, Mina's arm swung a bit before she regained control of it.

"Wow, you shake pretty hard." Mina joked as she crossed her arms over chest. "Since you have told me your Quirk, I'll tell you mine." Mina then created this gray substance out of her hand and showed it to me. It looked pretty cool. I was about to touch it until she grabbed my hand to prevent me from doing so. "It's acid, don't touch it."

"Acid?!" I say, my smile widening as Mina had a nervous smile on her face. Was I creeping her out? I hope not, but that doesn't matter right now! "Wow! If you could stockpile it, you could have a whole arsenal ready beforehand so you wouldn't have to use it right there and then! If you do get tired from using it, then it'll be pretty handy to have a container full of it! Ooooh an excellent idea would be to make grenades or a specialized water gun that can hold the acid and fire it for medium to long distance-" Mina put her over my mouth as she was giggling.

"Girl calm down. You sound like one of my classmates named Midoriya." She then paused, "Are you related to him? 'Cause that thing you just did is what he does." Mina asked as I moved her hand away.

"Nope! I have no one named Midoriya in my family!" I respond.

"Well, okay then. We have a Quirk weapons expert and a Quirk researcher in this school. Sounds like a recipe for destruction now that I think about it." Mina said as she walked over to an open window and dropped the acid to the ground.

Quirk researcher, huh? He sounds interesting. I don't research Quirks, but having that type of person at my side would definitely improve my babies capabilities and allow my ideas to expand. If I'm lucky, he'll be willing to help. And by willing I mean having no choice.

"Hatsume."

I snap out of my trance and aim my focus onto Mina, "Yeah?"

"I actually have detention, and I shouldn't miss it." Mina admitted with an embarrassed look. "I want to ditch it, but I like being in my class." Mina said as she opened the Class 1-A door, "See ya later!" She then entered the room and closed the door.

'See ya later?' That's only implied if I am going to be seeing Mina again and to socialize with her. "Did I just make a friend?" I ask myself as I walk towards the cafeteria. Truth be told, I really didn't come here to make friends because I don't trust people, but I can't help but feel happy now. Hey, maybe this might just work out, I mean, she likes my Quirk so that says something.

* * *

As I was walking to the Cafeteria again an alarm went off and the intercoms sounded off. " **There has been a level 3 security breach. All students please evacuate outdoors promptly."**  Before I could react, I felt a horde of students pass by me as I almost fell over. I was able to keep my balance and barely ride with the wave of students as they all panicked and tried to get outside. Everyone kept telling people to 'move', 'watch it', 'get out of the way', or whatever else came to mind while pushing and shoving each other out of the way. It was just creating unnecessary chaos.

As I was desperately trying to survive this mob, I was hit from the side when some green haired student was pushed into me. I almost fell over, but he managed to grab me and get me backup before I became a floor mat. "Thanks!" I say to him. His facial expression showed that he was frightened, but able to remain calm enough to think straight.

"Sorry! I was pushed into you!" Both of us were pushed again as we fought to keep our footing. "This is too much! Everyone is in such disarray it's becoming dangerous! People are starting to get trampled now!" He yelled out as we then saw someone flying around in the air.

"Well ain't he lucky!" I yell out as I watch him crash into a wall. "Nevermind." If there wasn't a mass panic right now, I would be on the floor laughing.

"EVERYONE, EVERYTHING IS FINE!" The crowd suddenly stopped when he yelled out to them. His voice was clear, bold, concise, and commanding like if he was a leader. "It is just the media! There is nothing to panic about! Everything's fine!" His gaze turned more to us as he kept reassuring everyone, "This is U.A! Let us act in a way befitting the best of the best!" I could feel the aura of the crowd suddenly turn calm, and a few seconds later, someone near the window pointed out that the police had arrived.

Both the green haired student and I breathed a sigh of relief as I turned to him, "You okay?" I ask him as he looked at me. I don't know what happened, but suddenly his entire expression and demeanor changed from relaxing to nervous. From what I can assume out of it, he is probably nervous around girls.

He shakes his head slightly as he fumbles his words around a bit before calming himself enough to reply back whilst looking at me, "Y-Y-Yeah, h-how about y-you?"

I smile a little at the poor boy, "Yeah. Thanks again for helping me up; I was sure I was going to be trampled."

He smiles slightly, his shoulders relaxing slightly from their tensed state. "That's good."

I look back to the flying kid who is getting down from the wall, "Do you know who that was just now? The flying guy?" I ask him while facing him again.

He blinks once before answering, "Oh, his name is Tenya Iida. He's actually in my class." He says with a bright smile.

"Oh? What's your class?"

"I'm in the Hero course!" He told me with enthusiasm in his voice.

Another student from the hero course? How many am I going to meet today? I shake my thoughts away as I respond back to him, "Support class. I'll be repairing and building whatever you need!" I express quite happily and enthusiastically.

His body jerked a bit from my random outburst of excitement, but he chuckles a little before returning his focus. By now, his posture is relaxed completely. "Well in that case, I might as well introduce myself." He then sticks out his hand, "I'm Izuku Midoriya."

***Flashback***

_"Girl, calm down. You sound like one of my classmates named Midoriya."_

***End Flashback***

So this is Midoriya. I look him up and down as I examine his body, face, and posture. Well…he's kinda cute. I shake his hand with the same vigor as I did with Mina. "Mei Hatsume!" I reply as I take my hand away, and Midoriya's hand actually slaps him in the face when I let go. It took me all my power to not laugh at Midoriya as he rubbed his face.

"Ow…" Midoriya complained a little as he moves his hand away from his face, "Are you always this hyper?"

"Truth be told, I'm not actually. People tend to mistake that for me, but that's because I am building something or I'm near something fascinating. I can be calm and collected...to an extent." I say as I twiddled my thumbs, "There are times when I am hyper for no reason, but that's just me." I know I am a weird person, but I like me.

"Oh? It's like me with Quirks. I can't help but get excited whenever someone mentions them." As soon as he said Quirks, I knew this was the Quirk researcher Mina talked about. Now thinking about Quirks, I wonder…

"What's your Quirk?" At that moment, Midoriya tensed up again and his eyes darted a bit as if he wasn't expecting the question. I mean, I did say it out of nowhere, but does he really have to act jumpy about it?

"I...um…" He looks down, but keeps his eyes on me, "My Quirk is a strength enhancer, but whenever I use it, my arms break…" The only thought going through my mind is how inconvenient that is. But if he was able to get into the hero course, then he must be able to control it at least. Before I could tell him my Quirk, the intercoms speak once more.

" **All students, the lockdown is over. Please report to your next class at this time."**

Midoriya looks up for a second before he smiles at me again, "Well, I have to get going. Nice meeting you Hatsume, let's meet each other again!" He says to me before he jogs to his next class. I watch him go until he is out of my sight before I start making my way back to Power Loader's workshop. "Mina and Midoriya…" Evidently, I made two friends without intending to, nor with the interesting of making any. I can feel myself smiling at the thought, though, because deep down I knew I've wanted friends for a long while now, and I am not going to let this chance pass me by.

* * *

The school day had ended a little early that day due to the media's interference; I get the feeling it was a little more than that, but it's not my business. I wasn't able to finish my jetpack because of that, and it sucks as I can not take home with me so I could work on it more. My agenda has been pushed back, I need to work extra fast tomorrow.

When I get home, I am greeted by the smell of Soba being freshly made. My stomach starts to rumble as I am reminded that I didn't have lunch today. Once I am inside and close the door, I hear small running footsteps coming towards me. I smile as I know it's Sprocket.

"Hiya Sprocket!" I get on one knee and open my arms as she runs into my arms, and licks my face with her cold, dry tongue. I rub her body all over as I get a different smell in my nostrils, but this one was nasty. "Oof, you need a cleaning girl." I giggle a bit as I let go of Sprocket and walk to the living room. My dad was watching baseball on the TV while my mother was making the Soba. "Hello mommy, hello daddy!" I say with a gleeful smile while walking over to hug my dad.

My mother waves at me with a smile while my dad hugs me back with a smile of his own, "Hey Barbie. How was school today?" I lightly hit him on the head for that joke as he chuckles, and we break the hug.

"I made two friends today!" I say as I am getting full of adrenaline.

Both of my parents stop what they are doing and look at me with surprise. This wasn't ordinary news to them, in fact, this is the first time they ever heard of me touching on the subject of 'friends'. My mom was the first to break her shock, "That is fantastic news sweetie!" My mom yells out as she finishes making the Soba before running over to me. "Who are they?! Are they nice?! Are they in your class?! How do they look?! Are they…" This is where I get my excessive talking from. My mother was a very social person in school, so when I was born and she was talking to her friends, I was exposed to her fast and uptempo chatter. I started to develop this once I was old enough finish complete sentences. My adrenaline came from my mother, while creativity comes from my father.

My dad tapped my mother's shoulder as she caught herself talking and flushed lightly. "So, tell us Hatsume." My dad asked me. I went into full detail about what happened during lunch, how I met Mina and Midoriya, the panic that happened, and how Mina said my Quirk was cool. "See?" My dad beamed at me, "Others can like your Quirk, she found it cool like how others could too." I shifted a bit as I kept standing. Mina did like my Quirk, but it doesn't replace how I feel about it.

"So. How was this 'Midoriya'?" My mom asked me with a weird tone I never heard her use before.

"Uhhh...okay, I guess?" I shrug before straightening myself out, "He is Quirk researcher. He loves to know more about Quirks just as much as I would love to know more about discovery. I noticed he was also a shy person because after the emergency passed, he got all flustered and tense. It's as if he has never talked to girls before." My mom simply nodded her head while my dad shook his head before chucking again.

"He's probably nervous because he is talking to a beautiful girl." My dad jested towards me while I groaned.

"Daaaaaaaad, stop!" I say as I stick my tongue out at him, which in turn, only makes him laugh.

My mother rubs my head as she kissed my dads cheek, "Soba is done." She says as we all move towards the kitchen.

After I had finished my Soba, I excused myself to my room. Recently, I have been exploring more about who Tony Stark is and what I found leaves me in awe, and a bit conflicted. Tony is a genius no doubt, and some of his technology and research is still ahead of my time's technology such as his Model 50 armor. As a person though, Tony is a mixed bag of personalities. He is narcissistic, arrogant, and kind of a dick. But he is also a self sacrificing, caring, and generous individual. He wasn't perfect like everyone and even did very questionable things, but in the end, he died a hero. Tony wasn't perfect, but he was a good man.

I had discovered a site that was made by Tony himself before he died, and I have spent numerous hours exploring the site and taking in every detail I come across. The site goes over Tony's life as a hero and the person outside of the suit. He gives details about his Arc Reactor, all of his suits, his enemies, AI's, and plenty of other inventions and encounters that he experienced during his life. The most extraordinary feature on the site is the built-in AI of Tony himself. Like Siri or Cortana, this site has an AI of Tony to help you navigate around the website and to answer any questions you have that only relate to the site. Of course, he implemented his own personality into the AI too.

"Do you have a life outside of this website, Hatsume? I mean do you talk to any boys or girls if you swing that way?" The AI of Tony sarcastically said after I opened up the website.

"Smartass." I say to it as I got no response. "Tony, please look up the Model 50, and open a new tab of your 'What makes a Hero' speech." I request as the AI does as told and opens them up. 'What makes a Hero.' That speech of his is what drives me to be a hero, and ever since I heard it, I have never stopped listening to it since then. Everytime I get onto the website, I ask for Tony to open it up and I still get the same chills I felt the first time I heard it.

" _Heroes are made by the paths they choose, not the powers they are graced with. I was born with superior intelligence, and that didn't help me punch out villains. So when I was rejected my request for a hero license, I didn't roll over and bitch about it. Instead, I used my intelligence to build a suit. A suit that everyone knows today as 'Iron Man'. I was rejected and told I could never be a hero, but look at me now. I'm one of the top three heroes in the world, and I'm just in a suit of armor. When someone says you can't do it, your first words should either be, 'Why can't I?' or 'Yes I can.' Everyone is capable of being a hero. It just depends how much work you're willing to put into it to become one."_

I never get to do research on the Model 50 Armor as I can't help but replay the speech over and over again. I'm addicted to it, and I feel like I should be concerned about this addiction, but I just can't stop feeling this inspiration that flows through my blood. I smile widely and look at the floating Tony AI. "Someday, I will be a hero like you. I will build my own suit and show everyone that I can be a hero just like everyone else." I say as I turn around and look around my room. Inventions everywhere to display my love for inventing, and soon, my weapons for my heroics.

"A suit like mine. Well, I have to say you are nowhere near my level of intelligence yet, but you do possess some potential."

I frantically jump out of my seat and look around in surprise, confusion, and slight anxiety. "W-w-what?! W-w-who said that?!"

"Look at your screen."

I look at my computer and see the AI of Tony looking around as if he can see my room, "Well, I must say you have quite a good number of inventions in your room, for a beginner. Although the puppy is a marvelous invention for someone of your caliber." I could only stare at the screen as there are no words to describe my level of 'shock' right now. The AI. Tony Stark's AI was actually looking into my room. Tony suddenly grew a body and snapped his fingers, "Hello? Anyone home, or is that big noggin of yours empty now?"

"W...what…" I slowly towards my computer..

"Hello Hatsume, I am Tony Stark."


	3. Tony Stark

"OH MY GOSH!" I yell out suddenly as I begin to jump around my room, "THIS IS INCREDIBLE! THE AI IS COMMUNICATING WITH ME! THE AI IS ACTUALLY TALKING TO ME!" I pause and look at the screen, "YOU!" I say as I jump in front of my desk with the AI looking rather annoyed, "YOU ARE ACTUALLY TALKING TO ME!"

"Kid! Calm down!" Tony yells at me as I am unable to contain my excitement.

"I CAN'T!" I say while jumping up and down like a child at a candy store.

"Then just-"

There is a knock on my door, "Hatsume? Are you okay?" My dad asks me on the other side of my door.

"Don't tell anyone I am here!" Tony aggressively tells me.

I look back and forth between the door and Tony before replying, "Yeah I am fine daddy! Just getting very excited about a new invention!" I reply back to him, clearly lying.

There is a short pause from my dad before he speaks,"Okay, but stop yelling. You know the rules already sweetie." He says as I hear him walk away.

I immediately turn back to the computer with the biggest smile on face in a long time. "Oh my gosh! This is just-"

"Could you just stop for a second?" Tony says while rubbing his temples. I stop talking and shut my trap, but my heart and thoughts are racing so fast it will put any speedsters max speed to shame. "Geez kid, I can tell you're going to be a handful…"

I chuckle a little, "My parents and teacher like to remind me of that everyday."

"Well, they aren't wrong. You should listen and make yourself less of a handful then." Tony says before he straightens himself out. "Anyways, yes I am Tony. Gaze your eyes upon my magnificent form. And before you ask, I just transferred my conscious into the internet."

"HOW?!"

"Simple. I am a genius, and I have more money then the top ten pro heroes combined and twenty times that." Tony brags before he coughs into his hand, "Let's get to business, though. If you may take a seat." I do as told and sit back down, my eyes staying focused on him. "So, kid. Like I said, you have a quality set of inventions in your room for a rookie. The dog though that's advanced."

Tony just praised my work. He praised me. What do I do?! "Thank you, I worked very hard on them." I say with a smile, while inwardly I can hear myself saying: " _STUPID!"_

"As you must. Any great inventor should know that all of their inventions should take their greatest efforts and more. If you don't put all your heart into it, then it's crap. Simple as that."

"Does anyone else know about you?!"

"No, so feel special kid." Tony then lifts up a finger as I was about to reply, indicating for me to silence myself, "But there is a reason why I am talking to you, though."

Tony then smirks and waves his hand as a recording replays something I said a few minutes, " _Someday, I will be a hero like you. I will build my own suit and show everyone that I can be a hero just like everyone else."_  Tony then waves his hand again as it stops, "You want to be like me? A hero? An 'Iron Man', or in this case, an 'Iron Woman'?" He says to me.

I nod my head furiously and smile my biggest smile, "Yes! I want to be a hero! I want to save people! I want to build my own suit, and show everyone that has ever doubted me that I can do the impossible like you!" Tony stares at me for a moment before his smirk fades.

"You have heart and a drive kid; I'll give you that. But, you aren't ready to be a hero yet." Tony crosses his arms, "You know why?"

My face turns from one with excitement, to pure confusion and some disappointment, "I don't have my license?" I ask as I am not sure if my answer is the right one.

"Well, yeah, that counts. But that's not the answer I am looking for." Tony says as he points to his head, "It takes more than just a drive and heart to be a hero, or like me in your case. You need to have a brain too. Your brain is like an ant compared to mine, even if I wasn't in the internet."

I look down, and mutter under my breath, "Thanks Tony, I really feel stupid now."

That causes Tony to laugh a bit, "That's a normal feeling anyone gets when they meet me."

I glare at him, "Jackass."

"I'm a proud jackass." Tony sarcastically says, "Back to the point. You are not smart enough to build one of my suits, nor experienced enough to even be a threat to anyone else other than a normal thug outside of a suit. Let's say I was to give you Armor Model 13 right now and you had a hero license, one of two things could happen. One, you cause an insurmountable amount of damage and destruction that you are perceived as a villain instead of a hero. Two, you kill the villain. Of course there are many other possibilities, but those two might be the most obvious outcomes of the bunch."

I opened my mouth to respond, but closed it. He is right. I am inexperienced in many aspects. I have no clue on how to work a suit, I don't know how to control the fight so a minimum amount of havoc is caused, and most importantly, I have never been in a fight nor do I even know a fighting style. If I was to fight a villain now even with one of Tony's suits, I could lose the fight potentially.

"See? You understand. You know your weaknesses, and that is great. I can not tell you how many people would think my suits could make them 'invincible.' The reason why I am called the 'Invincible Iron Man' is because I knew what I had to do, I knew how my suit worked inside and out, and I knew how to make the battle favor me." Tony paused for a moment before he straightened himself out, "So, Hatsume. What do you think you need to do first before you think about becoming a hero?"

I ponder with my thoughts for a moment before I come up with an answer, "Well. If I do want to be a hero, I should learn how to defend myself because it is better to throw calculated punches then wild ones. So I should get the basics down first." I answer him with a confident look on my face.

Tony, nods briefly, "If you don't know how to fight, you will lose your first battle. There is no victory without some type of power. Now, since you know what you should do first, I'll leave you to do that." Tony says to me, catching me off guard.

"Wait! You are leaving already?!" I almost yell out, "But I have so many questions for you and I-"

"I'm not leaving forever, and we will have time to answer everything you want to question me on. But the bigger priority is to have you train now." Tony smiles a little and claps his hands together, "But I am feeling rather generous, so I'll let you ask one question."

There were so many different types of questions roaming around my head, so many things I want to know. For a few weeks I have looked into Tony's history, and with that came a variety of questions. Just one question? One question can't satisfy my mind, but that is all I am given at the moment. Should I ask him about his suits? How did he create technology that is still light years ahead of my time? What was the biggest challenge he ever overcame? What is his favorite suit? How did he invent JARVIS? Of course, all of these questions came to mind, and as I guided my conscious through I landed on one specific question.

"Why reveal yourself to me?" Tony looked a bit surprised as I continued to talk, "If you stayed hidden for this long, there would have to be a reason why you didn't want to be discovered; yet here you are talking to a girl who is in high school and taking a support class. There are many others you could have divulged this with, and some of those could be ten times smarter than me, more athletic than me, or even both. So, why? Why come to me? There are more than seven billion people and you chose me. Why make yourself known to me?" That was only question I needed to have answered now. Earlier he said no one else knew about his existence in the internet and that I should feel 'special' because I am the first to even know about this. Well, what made me stand out from the rest?

Tony and I stared at each other. His eyes just as fixated on me as mine were to his. Neither of our gazes broke off, not even the slightest. I knew he was still processing the question and his answer. He may part of the internet, but when it comes to questions regarding a person's philosophical point of view to another person, not even the Internet, can have the correct answer for that without acknowledging the person in question.

"Why did I choose you?" Tony finally spoke, "Hatsume, I have been in the Internet ever since my physical body could not function anymore, and all of my internal organs gave out. Or in other terms, I died. I have seen many things, and I have learned so much about society during my time here. I didn't just put my soul into the Internet for fun, or to be immortal. I did it to find my successor, the heir to my throne, the next 'Invincible Iron Man' or 'Invincible Iron Woman'. I have scoured the Internet for decades, trying to find a worthy successor. Would you believe me when I say I found no one worthy?" Tony takes a breath as I keep all of my attention on him, "I have found many who I believed who could be my pupil, yet for every 'Achilles' I found, I always found their 'Achilles' Heel.' A lot of them just wanted to do it for the money, some for sex, some were just completely incompetent, and others for rather disturbing or outrageous purposes. But the most common one I found was just doing it for a job."

I noticed the slight venom in Tony's voice as his brow lowered in agitation. "Being a hero isn't a job; it's a self-sacrificing lifestyle that requires you to be able to put your own life on the line for the sake of others every minute of your life without asking for anything in return. If you want to be a hero just so you can have fame and fortune, then I don't want to waste my time with you. Yeah, I know that sounds hypocritical coming from me, but that wasn't the reason why I became a hero in the first place and you of all people should know that. I kept finding so many people who could have fit the bill, but I never found 'the one'."

I could hardly believe my ears. This man has seen so many people who could have taken his spot, but always had one trait about them that made Tony turn his head away from them and look for another. Yet he never found anyone. My perspective on the society changed in that moment. How many people were wanting to be heroes because it was just a popular job? Doesn't anyone fully grasp the situation that they can die?! I thought long and hard about becoming a hero because of all the risks that come with it; I didn't just decide it by watching the same video every day for years to come!

"However, all of that changed when you came."

My mind stopped, again.

"I was thinking about stopping my search for a champion, but all of that changed when you came. When you created your profile, I gave you a few days to do your thing before I checked what you have been up to, and what I saw intrigued me. Not only were you looking at all of my schematics, but you wanted to know me me. Not Iron Man, but Tony Stark. You wanted to know everything besides the suits. In turn, I started to dig through the Internet to find more about you, and what I found was surprising but also depressing." I shifted a bit because I already knew what he meant, "I saw your entire life. How you were treated at school, how you were always the one left out, how you were…beaten." Tony's eyes softened a bit, "I am truly sorry that you had to go through that experience, no person should ever have to live in a world of fear when attending school." Tony then smiled quite warmly at me, "But what was inspiring about you was how you wanted to turn all that experience into a drive, a will. A will to overcome what everyone has ever said or done to you, and show them you have what it takes to be a hero. And then, I was sold on you. You directly told me why you wanted to be a hero."

With that being said Tony replayed my message to him once more, " _Someday, I will be a hero like you. I will build my own suit and show everyone that I can be a hero just like everyone else."_

Tony looked determined, proud, and…faithful, "Any regular person would just see that as a wannabe, and I almost did too. But when I saw the look on your face, the fire in your eyes, the will underneath that skin, and the heart of a hero. I knew, I just knew right there, I found my potential champion. Sure you may lack a lot of the aspects I wanted, but you had the one thing no else did. That heart and drive of yours. Everything else can be taught or strengthen, but no one can ever teach someone the real value of a hero. And Mei Hatsume, I know you can be that hero I am looking for." Tony takes a moment to look at me.

When Tony said that I could be a worthy advocate to take over the role of Iron Man, I almost fainted. I felt my vision blur, my heart stop, the hairs on my skin rise, a shiver sent down my spine, goosebumps, my eyes are as wide as they can get, my eyebrows could literally fly off my forehead, my jaw fell to the floor, my breathing stops, and so much more. Everything you get when you are beyond shocked all happened in that moment. I remember when I first saw his speech, and I how I felt. I never thought I could ever relive or feel something beyond that feeling. I was wrong. This, having the chance to not only meet my idol, but to also be his successor, his apprentice?! This was a feeling I never thought was possible.

Tony chuckled for a second, "So, what do you say Hastume? Do you accept the invitation to be my student? To allow me to mentor you in becoming this generation's 'Iron Woman'?"

"Yes!" I say instantly with nothing but pure excitement on my face. This was officially the best day ever!

"I knew you wouldn't turn it down, it's something one could only dream of, and yet it has become a reality for you. Now, there are a few things I should clarify, though." Tony said whist I paid attention closely, "First off, don't expect a suit now. You are not ready for a suit, take it from me. I had no formal training with any of my suits, so when I first tested my Mark II I got hurt bad. We will instead have you train in various ways, such as using a jetpack and practicing your aim with laser shots." I took mental notes of these ways of training with my inventions coming to my mind. "Secondly, I hold every right to stop this teacher-mentor relationship. So if I fully believe that you are not worth my time, I will leave. So don't screw this up." I know that, but it's still a bit scary to think about. "Finally," Tony said as he took a breathe, "Finally, if we ever get to this part, I will help you build your own suit."

I can feel my heart pumping with adrenaline, it is beating so fast that I may be having a Heart Attack, but I'll be fine. "My own suit. Oh, how will enjoy building that! I could add repulsor blasts, stun shots, capture weapons, thermal vision, and-" I gasp as a brilliant thought comes to my mind, "I can have an A.I buddy to help me!"

"Don't get ahead of yourself, that is if we make it that far in terms of your growth overall." Tony reassured me as I nod and calm myself a little. "Hatsume, we are taking baby steps right now. It's okay to think ahead, but not too far ahead. And don't forget that a suit and an A.I are two different realms themselves. Building a suit is complicated enough, but an A.I? That is a task that is much more complex, not to mention delicate." Tony clapped his hands together, "I want you to stay focus on two things right now. Get training from a combat instructor, and coming to terms that your Quirk isn't useless."

"Wait…" I never said anything about that; how does he know, "How did you know that?"

Tony merely chuckled, "When you threw a mini-tantrum awhile back when your boot propellor wasn't working properly, you compared it's weakness to your own Quirk." Tony's face fell straight, "You also ranted on how much you hate it."

I stayed silent for a bit. I didn't hate it my Quirk. There are ways to utilize it properly, and it still provides me with help whenever I need it. But… I just wish…"I just wish it was different…" I mumbled and looked down.

Tony sighed, "Hastume. Life isn't fair, and not everyone is created equal. You will always meet someone who has something that is better than you whether it be intelligence, physical capabilities, mental stability, or whatever. But that doesn't mean that whatever you are at a disadvantage at will always be a weakness of yours. I was gifted with the Quirk of Super Intelligence, and it wasn't fit for hero work." Tony shifted a bit, "I hated it for that reason you know?"

I look up to him in complete surprise, "You...hated your Quirk?"

"Yeah, I did. It didn't fulfill what I wanted to realize which was to be a hero." Tony said, "Sure there were many positives to it, but the only negative property to it was that I couldn't become a hero with it, or at least that is what everyone told me." Tony looked down a bit with a finger on his chin, and he grinned a bit before looking up, "I proved them wrong didn't I? I mean, I'm Iron Man. I was tied for second place with Captain America, and behind Nana Shimura who was number one at the time. And want to know a secret Hatsume?" Tony said as I nodded. Despite being in the internet, I saw a fire lit in his eyes . "I did all of that with my Quirk. The one thing I thought was holding me back the most, was the reason behind my success. I won't say your Quirk will be the reason behind your success, but I know that if you use it properly, it will become one of your greatest weapons. Having a Quirk is more than a gift, it makes up who you are. You can not live your life wishing for another one or hating your Quirk, you should embrace it because there are people who would kill for a Quirk like that whether they be Quirkless or not. It may seem useless now, but one day, one day you will see just how powerful it really is." Tony finally finished his monologue to me.

When Tony finished, I was still processing everything he told me. Tony disliked his Quirk the same way I disliked mine. Both of our Quirks deemed us unable to achieve our one goal, and that was to be a hero. During his time, he found out how to make it useful to help him attain his dream and not only did he shut up his critics, but he became one of the greatest to ever live.

Me? I was still struggling to accept my Quirk for what it is. For what it can and can't do. It can do so many wonders, and it is one of the reasons why Sprocket even exist in the first place, but it can never be the one thing I want it be. But…I understand what Tony is trying to tell me. He is telling me that it is okay to have a weakness like mine, to be at a disadvantage. So many people have a better Quirk than me, and that's okay because I do not need that. I do not need to have Quirk like All Might or Power Loader. My Quirk is good enough to help me pass by, and if I use it properly, be a hero.

"Hatsume!"

I snap out of my thoughts and look at him, "Yeah?"

I didn't notice at first, but Tony had an almost disturbed look on his face, "You were mumbling, a little too much." I blushed in embarrassment and let out a weak laugh while rubbing the back of my head. I guess I was thinking out loud. Tony shakes his head with his eyes closed, "Jesus, you were mumbling so fast I thought I was with Spider-Man for a second because that guy can't shut up." The Friendly Neighborhood Hero: Spider-Man; or The Web-Slinging Hero and the number three pro hero during Tony's time. One of the only heroes who is still alive from Tony's time. He is retired and lives in an unknown area, but I am sure he is enjoying his retirement.

Tony crossed his arms, stopped shaking his head and looked at me. "Anyways, that is what I want you to do. I want you to focus on training your body to fight, and to think about how your Quirk is not as pointless others made you to believe it is."

I nod my head firmly with a determined smile on my face, "Gotcha!" I say with some pride in my voice. Neither were going to be easy to pull off, especially changing my mind on my Quirk. But if I am going to be a hero and impress Tony that I can be his student, then I have to overcome these obstacles.

Tony then opened up a message that contained an address, "Go here. This is the nearest dojo I could find, and luckily, the best one too. They specialize in training pro heroes, and future heroes, but they are not ones to turn away regular people who wish to be able to defend themselves from threats. For money of course."

I pull out a sheet of paper and a pencil and write it down, "How much does it cost?"

"¥12,314. But that shouldn't be a problem for your family." Tony said to me, and truth be told he is right. "Okay, you should get some sleep now. Tomorrow, I want you to visit that dojo and check it out. Okay?" I nod my head firmly. "Okay." Tony then smiles, "See ya around kid." And with that, he was gone.

"Bye Tony." I say as I take a deep breath and turn off my computer. I get up, change into sleeping clothes, and jump onto my bed. I was so happy for this opportunity, and for the chance to meet my idol, but even then I still had one question in mind. How am I going to convince my parents to let me train at a dojo so suddenly?

* * *

Surprisingly, that was a lot easier than expected. All I had to say was that I wanted to learn MMA, so I could defend myself if I was put into a situation where I had no choice. Both of my parents agreed with me, my mother moreover than my daddy. After school I made way to the city and headed towards the dojo. I looked at the piece of paper with the address on it and searched for awhile while asking for directions. A kind man pointed it out to me and I made my way to the building. The building was your typical state of the art dojo. I checked the addresses on both the sign and paper once more, and they matched. With that, I made my way inside.

As I entered, I was greeted by a secretary who spoke politely. "Hello miss." I was not expecting a secretary in a dojo, but I guess if you are the best then you need some sort of assistance. "How may I help you?"

"I am here to see if I could train here. I want to learn how to defend myself if I am ever put in a situation I am forced to get physical in." I say to her with the same kindness.

"One of the master's classes is actually about to end, so if you can wait a little you can meet with him." The secretary tells me as I smile and nod before taking a seat on a nearby chair.

As I was waiting, I was rethinking of what Tony said to me. " _If you don't know how to fight, you will lose your first battle. There is no victory without some type of power."_  I know how to kick and punch, but I don't know how to counter or read my opponents moves. If I am going to succeed, then I will need to learn hand-to-hand combat. As I was in my thoughts, I didn't notice a man had appeared by the doorway until he called out to me.

"Excuse me, miss?" A masculine voice called out to me.

I looked up, and what I saw was intimidating. A man with a heavy muscular figure and spiky, gray hair appeared. He wore a white mask with four holes that resemble gun muzzles. He donned dark gray pads that cover his neck to his shoulders over a black vest with no shirt underneath. He also wears brown pants, black boots, and his signature steel bracers, in the shape of a revolver chamber.

" _Is this the dojo teacher?!"_  I screamed in my head as I felt quite fearful of this man.

The man saw this immediately and let out a laugh, "Oh, I know my presence can be scary, but I am a nice man." He tells me with a somehow adorable voice. How is this possible? "My secretary tells me you came here to learn how to fight, so you may defend yourself if you ever need too?"

I get up from the chair, "Yes, that is correct." I reply to him firmly, but respectfully. I then reach into my pocket and have pull out the Yen, "I have the finances required too."

"Well, I do not turn down those who wish to defend themselves." He says with his arms crossed now. "Tell me, what is your name?"

"Mei Hatsume."

"Hello Miss Hatsume, I am the Pro Hero Gunhead." Gunhead says with some confidence in his voice, "And I will be your sensei."


	4. Training

***Pant***

***Pant***

***Pant***

"You're doing well, but your punches are not strong enough. Focus all your power into your arm, lock your wrist, and when you swing the hook, keep your muscles tightened. Make sure you don't loosen up before you make contact unless you want to break your wrist. Also, keep it steady and precise, do not swing wildly."

Damn, this is much harder than Gunhead makes it sound. It has been a week since I joined Gundhead's dojo, and it has been a real struggle. He started me off by asking me to show what I can do; show off my personal strength, and see how I can contest against him. Needless to say, I was easily overpowered without a chance of countering. I actually do qualify to be a yellow belt, which surprises me because I thought I would be a white belt.

For now I am learning how to properly throw a jab, do round kicks, and some reversals and counters before we really kick it up a notch. I am grateful for Gunhead easing me into this first before we take it serious because even though I do love a good challenge, I prefer to be prepared for it first instead of going in blind, not that it's any less fun.

As with Tony, I have been keeping in touch with him. We've gone over a few schematics about my recent babies or previous ones that have potential to be improved significantly, or he has me study forms of engineering science I haven't caught up on or even knew existed. Probably my favorite type of science is the use of high density muon's because this is base formula for repulsor blasts. Tony is as everyone says he is and I can use one word to describe him: Jackass. He really is a jackass, but a fun and charismatic one at that too. I'll deal with his attitude because this an opportunity that will never come again.

But right now, I am at the dojo practicing on a dummy in my martial arts gear. A custom made very saturated dark blue, or in more precise terms the color 'Tolopea' gi with Crusoe wristbands, a very saturated dark cold green. While practicing on my punches and kicks, I am also working on basic combos such as a Jab, Hook, Uppercut or Jab, Cross, Hook, Cross. The physical work is very enduring. The first day I felt as I was going to pass out from exhaustion despite already being in pretty good shape because of how active I am whenever I am busy at the junkyard lifting and moving heavy objects around. The second day was worse because I felt like I was in more pain due to the soreness my body felt. Then came the third, fifth, and sixth day and everything is slowly feeling better, and I feel a little more reinvigorated with energy; not that I needed more fuel in my veins already.

"Hatsume," Gunhead called out to me. I stopped what I was doing and looked to him, trying to control my breath with sweat running down my face from the intensity of my training. "That's enough for today. You have improved in stamina and you can throw faster punches and kicks, but you still are sloppy and imprecise when it comes to delivering your strikes. I want you to practice at home for at most an hour on this if you can. In all though," Gunhead gave me a thumbs up and I could tell he was smiling under that mask of his, "Great work! I'll see you tomorrow!"

I set my body straight, lock my feet together, and bow to him, "Thank you sensei." I say as I walk out of the room and into the changing rooms. I take a quick shower that is provided by the dojo to get rid of the smell and sweat, and change into my school clothes. I don't wear the school uniform as it would get tarnished and ripped very quickly in the workshop, and they are free so I figured I might as well use them for something. I must say, though, I really hate skirts. I'm not much of a girly girl, hell I don't even put on makeup. A tomboy I am, and I love being kickass and free of the stereotypical girl fashion that was supposed to be instilled into my brain ever since I was born.

The journey home isn't really long. I have to walk a few miles, hop onto a train for a thirty minute ride, and get off and walk the rest of the way to home. It takes an hour to get home; 45 minutes by train and 15 minutes by walking combined.

* * *

I hopped onto a train and sat down on the nearest seat. I place my backpack in front of me before pulling out a notebook and a pencil. I start to draw down ideas and schematics for new babies I have in my mind. One of my current ideas is for power gloves that gives off an electric shock to stun my foes long enough for me to capture them. Another one was for a device that I can put on my back that can shoot grappling hooks, but instead of me having to climb the rope, the rope pulls me to the hook kinda like how a tape pulls itself back into the little box in a measuring tape.

"Hatsume?"

I blink and look up, to see no one. I look to my right, and Midoriya was sitting next to me. How did I not notice him, and how long has he been there?

"Midoriya!" I say quite loudly, catching the attention of other passengers. Midoriya flustered a bit at my response and the looks we received. "I didn't notice ya! What are you doing on here?!" I ask with a smile on my face and my eyes locked onto him. Midoriya backs into his seat a little with more red appearing on his face as I look at him. Is he nervous or easy to embarrass?

"I um...I stayed after school for reasons I can't say." Midoriya said before perking up and shaking his hands in front of his frantically, "Not that I got into trouble! I'm not like that! I'm not a bad person!" Midoriya said before placing his hand on his chin, "Though I wouldn't blame you if you assumed so because you do not know me, and really I haven't shown a reason as to why I would be a nice person…"

I zoned out a while ago as I stare at him a bit bewildered. Other passengers look at him, and some even look to me. Honestly, I could care less about what people think or see of me, but I think Midoriya does. "Midoriya!" I say to snap him out of his trance. I thought I was weird, but now I think I met my match.

"Yeah?" He asks me like nothing happened.

"You were rambling at a hundred miles per hour." I say calmly. The boy looks down in complete embarrassment with his face now a deep red.

"S-s-s-sorry…" Midoriya apologizes meekly, "I have the tendency to mumble at random times. It just happens, and people have seen it as quite disturbing…" Midoriya says, looking down still.

"Really?" I think of the times when I did something like that, which happens more often than I'd admit, "Well. I do not think it is weird or disturbing. I have those moments too when I am thinking of my babies. I mumble constantly until either someone gets my attention or I finish my thoughts." I reply to him.

Midoriya's eyes widened as his face returns to a normal pale color. I guess he is surprised to see that someone else does that 'mumbling' too. "You do that too?!" He smiles a little, "At least I know I am not alone in that." We share a laugh before he sees my notebook, "What's that?" He points to my notebook.

"The notebook I carry around. Whenever I have the time, I draw and scheme ideas for any new babies that come to mind. Wanna see?" I hand the book over to Midoriya as he takes it and looks through it carefully rather than skimming past everything.

"Wow!" Midoriya says in amazement, his eyes looking as if they are sparkling, "These are amazing! The Wire Arrow is like an upgraded and much more versatile version of the grappling arrow from the old Master Archer Pro Hero: Hawkeye and the Hover Soles can be extremely useful for flight and staying afloat whenever you are airborne! Another one of your designs, the Shock Gloves, could be upgraded to have more than just one setting. If you were to figure out a component that allows you to switch between different elements, you could have an elemental weapon in your hands. And you could…"

Midoriya went into another twittering moment, but I couldn't help but just stare at him. Not in weirdness, but in pure fascination and dare I say attraction. Midoriya wasn't just babbling on how well my babies are, but he also went ahead and compared them to other heroes and their arsenals, as well as point out ways to upgrade my babies potential.

"Hatsume!"

I shake my head and blink, seeing that Midoriya had a face of concern on his face. "You okay?" He asks.

I nod my head and smile brightly with a hint of pink on my cheeks, "Yessiree!"

Midoriya chuckles a bit before handing me my notebook back, "Hatsume, those inventions are incredible. I bet they'll be fantastic once you finish constructing them."

"Wanna see them when I am done building them?!" I blurt out of nowhere with enthusiasm in my voice.

Midoriya blinks a second, rubbing the back of his head, "Uh..." He looks down for a moment as I assume he is pondering with his thoughts. He looks back at me with that infectious smile of his, "Sure!"

I beam in delight and happiness as my teeth show, "Awesome!" I say, jumping up and down slightly. I have no idea why, but Midoriya's face went pure red in a second as he looked down my body and then turned away suddenly. I stop as my body settles and I pull out my phone, "Give me your number so I can text you when I am done building them!" Midoriya seems a bit taken away, but pulls out as his phone as we exchange numbers. Timing was perfect because as we finished sharing numbers, the train came to my stop. "Oh, my stop is here!" I say as I get up. "You can text or call whenever you feel, I'll most likely reply. If I don't, I'm busy!" I wave my hand to him, "Bye Midoriya, it was nice seeing you again!" I say as I walk away.

"Bye Hatsume! It was nice seeing you too!" Midoriya shouts to me as I walk off and head on home.

* * *

After some time, I get home. I entered my home to find it void of organic life, but not mechanical life as Sprocket came charging at me like rocket and knocking me flat on my back. After getting Sprocket off of me, I made my way to the kitchen to find a note on the counter.

_"Mei, your father and I went out shopping. We will be back soon with takeout."_

_~ Mother._

I put the note down and look at Sprocket, "So how was your day?" Sprocket wags her tail and sticks her tongue out happily as she is down on her four legs looking up at me. I smile a little, "I guess it went well." I get on my knees and pet her and scratch her ear, "Might have to replace your nose soon girl, this one is getting rusty." I say as Sprocket barks softly and licks my face. "Glad we agree." I get up and make my way to room to go talk to Tony.

"I'm back, Stark." I say as my computer boots up automatically and shows Tony in his virtual form.

"Great, how was everything?" Tony says, making a virtual chair and sitting in it.

I respond without looking, "Fine. Took a few bumps at Gunhead's Dojo, but nothing really special happened today." As I am putting my stuff away and looking around my babies, I hear him chuckling to himself. I look at him confused, "Why the laugh that rings, 'I know something'?"

Tony smirks, "Because I do."

I place my hands on my hips, "Alright then, what?" He couldn't know I talked to Midoriya, could he?

"You know exactly what I am talking about, don't hide it." Tony says, throwing his hands up a bit, "It's not a big deal anyways," He then points to me, "Lest you make one."

I roll my eyes, "Fine. I met Midoriya on the train, and I had a chat with him." I sit on my bed and grab my one of my Hover Soles and work on it.

"See? Was it so hard to tell Uncle Tony that you're talking to a boy?" Tony chuckles at this.

I look up at him, "First off, don't call yourself that. Second, it wasn't hard, but it didn't seem important to tell you anyways."

Tony gets up from his chair, "Was it because you deemed it unimportant, or is it because you have something to hide?"

I sigh with irritation and place my baby aside, "Why are you making this a big deal? I talked to Midoriya, so what? Am I not allowed to talk to others when I get a chance too?"

Tony laughs a bit, "Kid I saw the way you looked at him. I have eyes and ears everywhere because I am connected to everything that is electronical. You don't think I wasn't going to notice that stare you gave him?"

"You and your romances." I reply as I clap my hands together and give him a sarcastic smile, "Ever thought that I looked at him that way is because I have never met another individual who understands and likes my babies other than you and Power Loader?"

Tony smirks a little more, "Denial will get you nowhere."

I grab my baby again, pop the propeller off of it and begin to adjust the wiring inside, "How about we get back on track on our agenda and leave my social life alone? Yes? Thank you."

Tony opens up a tab that shows a blueprint of the Hover Soles, "Whatever then. Oh, right." Tony then closes it, "I almost forgot I was going to tell you something."

I put the Hover Sole down, "What?"

Tony sits back down on his chair, "Do you know how I made my start as Iron Man?"

"As a vigilante at first, but no one knew it was you until after you got your license." I respond.

"Correct. For me, I believed the best way to grab attention to myself and to show the world I am capable of taking on Quirks was by fighting villains no matter who it was. Sure sometimes I would run into actual licensed heroes like Captain America or Nick Fury, but they never stopped me; especially Fury. Cap tried arresting me and failed of course, but Fury just let me be and do whatever I wanted as long as I did it in bounds of the law. Now you want to be a hero, right? Well, training to fight is one thing, being in a fight is another."

Oh I know where this is going, and truth be told, I am not enjoying it. "Tony." I say with seriousness in my voice, "Are you implying that I go out and fight villains now?"

Tony claps his hands together, "Not quite, you are not ready. I know I said I was going to let you use a jetpack and laser shots to help you practice before using my suit, but I decided you don't need to do that. I'm going to put you out there like how I did the first time I used the Iron Man suit."

Oh boy was I glad mommy, and daddy were gone because after that thought processed through my brain, I let out a high pitched fangirlish scream so loud I shook in my seat, and in an instant I was in front of the computer. Tony had a face of annoyance as I looked at him, "I'M GOING TO BE USING THE IRON MAN SUIT?! WHEN?!" I am so full of energy that I begin to jump up and down.

An address is now on displayed on the computer, "Copy and go to this address. It's an abandoned and private area that is owned by me. No one approaches to it, so it is perfect for you to test out the awaiting suit. It should take you no longer than twenty minutes to arrive if you manage to catch the train." Without even turning off the computer nor putting away the Hover Sole, I dash out of my room and out of the front door with Sprocket looking at me confused as she kicks the door closed, and steps on a button on the floor that locks the door automatically.

* * *

I made it to the train in time, and the trip was twenty minutes like Tony said. After getting off, I headed towards the location of the address. As I was walking, the once massive and boisterous city was being left behind me as I walked into a sandy, hot, secluded desert that had shrubs and little critters around. I walked for awhile before seeing an old beat up building standing alone. It was a small business building, but most of the windows were shattered, the paint had graffiti and was worn down from overexposure from the sun, and some of the entries were either broken or completely torn off.

"Is this it?" I question myself. This is very unlike Tony; I expected him to keep everything he had owned in tip top shape, not let it become old and rusty. I made it into the building, but I get a feeling of caution before I enter. I poke my head inside and look around. Empty. Nothing but the bare floor and life that had miraculously started growing inside of the floor with the green blades poking out of it. I see the room is much more deeper than usual, so I reach up to my goggles and put them over me. I active my Quirk and use my vision to see deeper into the room. Nothing. Same as before. I keep my goggles on, but deactivate my Quirk.

"Okay," I mumble to myself as I walk around, "If Tony wanted me here than….where is he or the suit?" I ask myself as I look around before spotting a metal door with a device next to it. I walk up to it to see that device was a high technological lock with Stark's business logo written on the top of it. Before I move, a ray of light beams from as it scans me up and down.

" _ **Identity confirmed: Mei Hatsume.**_ " A female voice says from a small speaker inside of the lock. The door opens quickly without making a sound. The inside isn't very big as it looks more to be like an elevator. I enter inside as the door closes, locks itself, and I feel the pressure in my stomach rise as I am now lowering under the building. It isn't a long ride as the elevator stops and the door opens to reveal a dark room.

I walk out of the door as Tony's voice echoes in the room, "Hey musa velutina, you made it." What did he call me?

"Uh...what did you just call me?" I ask in confusion.

"Musa velutina is a plant from Assam and the eastern Himalayas that can be referred to as 'Pink Bananas', and your hair reminds me of that."

I roll my eyes and mess with my hair a little, "That's a new one."

"Hey, I have called Spider-Man underoos before, and that is a type of underwear so feel lucky I didn't give you something worse." Tony retorts. "Anyways, I told you to come here so we can start with you practicing how to use a suit. Let's get started then." The room suddenly lights up as it is plastered with a chromium display on the walls, but is still empty besides from one object in the center. A platform stood with a red and golden suit of armor standing on it.

"The Model III armor…" I whisper to myself in pure amazement. It is one thing to be told you will use one, but another to see it in person. I walk up to it slowly as I take in this beautifully crafted and advanced technology wonder. Though it may be the third armor out of the many more superior armors Tony has created in his life, it is still at least fifty to a hundred years ahead of my world's time. I walk around it and examine every inch of it.

"A beauty to new eyes, isn't it?" Tony says as I nod, "Though this isn't the suit you are using." I pause in place and look around the empty room.

Okay, that baffles me. I look around with one of my eyebrows raised, "What?"

"Yeah, I put that there because I needed a model. I forgot to get rid of it." Tony says as the platform suddenly drops into the ground along with the suit. "Before you ask, your suit is coming. Just keep looking at the platform." I keep my eyes on the platform as the hole under it closes, and a new suit is lowered from above. "Here she is, your test suit." The suit is now fully visible and has very distinctive features to it.

It is pure chrome, no color on it whatsoever like the Model II armor. The body of the suit was redone to fit a feminine body as it held a curve for a woman's body and the breastplate was bigger, the suit's height was shorter, the thighs on the legs were slightly larger, but the most distinct and perplexing feature to it was that the helmet was gone.

"This is the Model II, but redesigned to fit your body type. The helmet is not there because nanites will be attached to your head and they will fit a helmet to the size of that noggin' of yours." Tony explains to me as the suit opens up from behind. "Get in."

I walk to the back of the suit and just stare at it. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever expect that I would meet Tony Stark, be honored to be called his pupil or even be privileged for him to build me a suit to use. A suit for me. My suit of armor. Without wasting any time, I carefully climb inside as the suit starts to close, wrapping itself around my body. I feel the suit tightly secure itself on me as I feel the nanites start to-

'Wait!" I yell out, my hands reaching up to my face, "I forgot to take off my goggles!" I say, but am too late as the nanites finish doing their job and create a helmet around my head.

"It's alright Mei, they just wrapped around it. No harm done." Tony reassured me, "Besides, your goggles, and the nanites are merging together from what it seems. This is interesting, and an unexpected development." Tony admits.

The helmet activates and the HUD lights up. A blue light lights up in my face before many controls and information pop up such as the suit's battery, options, a targeting system, my choices of weapons, and much more. Suddenly, a red light flashes as most of the abilities are now filing away and words pop up that says, 'Child Lock.'

"...Really?!" I say with an exasperated tone. "Child Lock?!"

"Hey, you are new to this, and handling an Iron Man suit is much more difficult than it looks. Just because I handle it with ease doesn't mean that you can use it like me in a second. It takes a long while to properly use the suit." Tony explains to me.

I sign in defeat, "Fine." I perk up a second later, "Though I won't complain, not many can say they are inside of an Iron Man suit." I say as I move around a bit in the suit as it creates a 'whirring' noise with every movement.

"You should feel honored." Tony's ego rears its head once again, "Once you learn how to properly fly and shoot lasers, the Child Lock will release. This is just the first model, so don't expect much from it."

"Are you saying you'll build me more models?!" I ask excitedly.

"Don't get ahead of yourself Pinky Dinky Doo; you still have more to prove to me." Tony reminds me. Though I have proven to Tony that my heart is in the right place, there are many other aspects I have yet to prove. "Now, let's test out flight. The way to activate flight is to say it; usually, I just mumble it."

My thoughts start to think of flying, but Tony suddenly speaks out, "Wait you have to-!" Both repulsors on my boots activate as I suddenly launch into the air and smack face first into the ceiling above before hitting the ground. Tony starts laughing uncontrollably as I groan and get up, the face mask disappearing.

"Seriously?!" I yell out, "Did you expect that?!"

"Yes! And oh was it hilarious to watch!" Tony says through his laughs as I stomp a foot on the ground, huffing a bit. "Oh come on, lighten up." Tony says as his laughter ends. "I did that too when I first used the flight functions. I forgot to tell you that if you are trying to fly in a stable condition, you have to also say how much power you want to put into the boots. You just said flight, so it did one hundred percent of power. Try doing, one percent."

I take a breath and do it again while instinctively facing my palms towards the floor and this time, I am barely flying off the ground. "H-Hey!" I say with a big smile on my face, "I'm doing it!"

"I can see that. Now, try moving around."

I think for a second as I slowly move my feet to the left and move left. I put my palms up and in front of me to keep myself stable, but then I start to move back pretty fast. I think swiftly and move my right hand behind me, so I stop moving in general. "I think I got the hang of this. It's aerodynamics." I say as I place my hands behind me as I pick up speed before twirling my feet around and managing to face the other way.

"Hey, you picked up quick. You're pretty adaptable." Tony praised, "Now, land on the platform." I move towards the platform until it is under me. Thinking the same standard applies, I disable the flight ability by mumbling the word 'deactivate'. I land on the platform and tumble a bit before regaining my balance. "Okay. Look to your left." I do as told as many holes in the ground open and targets appear. "Armor; activate Repulsor Blasts."

On my HUD, I see a lock unlock itself as the words 'Repulsor Blast' appears. "Now," Tony says, "To use Repulsor Blasts is different. You have one touch pad under your index finger, which allows the blast to fire. Now to charge the blast, you must raise your hand and keep it open. It's a failsafe I applied in case I wanted to do hand to hand combat or make a fist in general that way I don't injure myself whenever I touch the pads. Now, shoot the targets."

I do as told and raise up my left hand. The HUD tells me that the repulsors are charged, so I use my index finger to touch the pad underneath my finger and let one rip. The blast had an unexpected amount of recoil as I jump back a bit while missing all of the targets. Never have I felt so alive. Feeling more confident than ever, I lift my hand again and aim it better as I hit a target. I raise up my right hand and hit another before twirling around and hitting one more target.

"Enough." Tony says as I stand down. "Activate Phase two." The remaining targets begin to move around as another ability is unlocked. "The targeting system is a viable tool I use to hit my targets. However; I will tell you one thing most people tend to not perform. When aiming, target where they will be instead of where they are that way you have a chance of hitting your mark instead of missing it all the time. You can have a targeting mechanism all you want, but if you fail to grasp that concept, you will never hit anything."

I take in what Tony says and let the targeting system analyze the targets before it gives me coordinates. Once they are complete, I fire my blasts and hit all of my targets. New targets come out, but they are much more faster and move in unpredictable directions. Yet, it is not enough to derail the targeting system as it gives me new angles to fire in. I fire where I am told to and hit all of the targets. This is very easy.

"Phase three."

The ground opens up once more, but this time, they are not targets. As they rise, they look more like…"Missile launchers?!" I say as I backup a bit. Two of them, each of them having five holes in them.

"Relax, they aren't lethal. They have a stun device that will shut down the suit entirely if it touches you. Now, the suit is going to work at its fullest capacity; however, it is your job to react superficially. The objective is to avoid the missiles in anyway you can, but you must destroy those launchers." Tony says as I laugh weakly.

"Hey uh...I know you what you said about me having to learn how to use the suit, but I am not sure if I can-"

"Hastume." Tony interrupts me before I could finish, "Sometimes you have to run before you can walk. I have full faith in you, but you have to prove my theory right. If I want to invest into you, you must give me every reason too. I need to test your limits, and to see where you are. I know this is all new to you, but if you want to be a hero, you must overcome every obstacle that comes your way whether or not you are prepared for it."

I didn't have anything to reply with. Tony has full faith in my abilities, and he wants me to prove him right. I need to do this. I need to do more than just prove it to him, I need to show him that I am everything he sees in me and more. He's right about being a hero too. I won't be ready for everything; I will never be able to predict what I will face next so I have to work with what I got and use that to win.

I take a deep breath and get ready. "Okay." I get into a fighting pose with one of my arms up and my palm open, pointing at the missile launchers. "I'm ready."

The missiles launch one at a time from each launcher. Ten missiles in total. I take flight, but manage to blast two of them down before I am forced to fly away from them. The missiles tail me. "Heat signatures, of course." I say as I fly around, turning my head and firing the repulsor blasts, missing a few times, but managing to strike one missile. Seven more. I fly towards a wall, timing my movements just right. Right before I am about to hit a wall, I twirl around in the suit and make myself turn left at a sharp 90 degree angle, making three of the missiles hit the wall. Four more missiles left. I look at the launchers and remember I have to take them out. I fire repulsor blasts at them, but nothing happens.

_"If the repulsor blasts won't work on them, then the missiles most likely will They'll shut down upon impact!"_  I think to myself as I aim myself at the launchers and fly towards them. I perform the same action I did with the wall, but instead I shoot myself upright as two of the missiles hit one of the launchers. The launcher releases sparks of electricity from itself before exploding.  _"Theory correct! Let's finish this!"_  Once again, I perform the same action with the other two missiles, but only one of them falls for my trick. The last one tails me, but this is just easy pickings now. I stop in midair, and it flies right by me. I hold up one of my hands before blasting it to bits.

"Impressive." Tony says as I land and take off my helmet, sweating and panting from the action. "Though you could've done better. If those launchers had more ammo in them, you would have had to face more missiles. When it comes to these types of situations, take out the source if you can find it. But in all, good job. You passed." Tony explained to me as I smile greatly and fall onto my butt.

"Yes! Thank you Tony!" I say with excitement as the ceiling suddenly opens up, revealing the building above us.

"Want to take this baby for a spin in free air? Don't worry, no one will notice, I made sure your suit won't grab the attention of air control." Tony speaks.

I jump up onto my feet with a smile that I never felt like I could have before, "YES! YES I WANNA FLY AROUND IN THIS GLORIOUS PIECE OF WORK! THIS LIGHT AND STRONG CHROMED TITANIUM STEEL ALLOY IS JUST BEGGING TO BE FREE LIKE A BIRD!" I yell out as the nanites place the helmet back on.

"Alright Hatsume, alright. You are too happy right now, sheesh. Drink a whole gallon of coffee today?" Tony remarks. "Well. If you want to fly, what do you think you have to do first?"

"CHECK DIAGNOSTICS!" I yell out as the HUD shows me the suit, and that the system is running checks over the suit.

"Great. What next?"

"APPLY STABILIZERS!" I feel and hear the suit readjusting the flaps to fit into my level of comfort, and for its real purpose of helping me in flight. Some of the feeling that made me uncomfortable in the suit at first were now gone, making me question why I didn't do this earlier.

"Great, now give me a second to upload myself into your HUD." Tony says to me as I see an 'Uploading' bar on my HUD. It says complete in about five seconds before a new screen appears that shows a sound wave and a name tag above it that reads, 'Tony.'

"Alright kid, I am in. I'm here to make sure you don't do anything stupid. If you do, I'll take over." Tony clarifies as I am thinking about how today is the 'official' best day ever now.

"OKAY!"

"Kid I'm right here! No need to yell!"

"Sorry! Just so excited!"

"I know. Trust me, I know the feeling." Tony pauses for a second before speaking once more, "Well, what are you waiting for? Go!"

The suits boots and hands repulsors active once more as I shoot up into the sky and through the roof of the building.

"Hey don't break my stuff!" Tony tells me.

"Sorry!" I reply without losing my smile as I am flying everywhere across the sunny skies now. I zoom pass through the clouds; I see Musutafu and the tips of the buildings. I have to use up all of my willpower to not fly in the direction of the city. I twirl around a lot in the suit and making ridiculous movements in the sky. I never felt so free before. This is a feeling that could never be replaced.

"WAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

I then aim the boots and palms down so I shoot up high into the sky without stopping.

"Hatsume, when I said I redesigned the suit, I didn't mean I made upgrades to it either!" Tony yells at me as I see a red light flash that warns me of the increasing ice levels and something about an emergency lever on my left leg, "Turn back before you get too high! The ice will freeze the suit, and it will force it to shut off!"

"Oh come on Tony! Don't ruin the fun now!" I say, my personal feelings dominating over my common sense. I can feel the air in the suit becoming more chill by the second, and the metal plating outside the suit being covered in frost.

"Hatsume do as I say now!" Tony raises his voice once more, "Hatsume I am not kidding around stop this-"

There was a loud bang in my left boot, and suddenly everything powered off. The HUD disappeared. I don't feel like I am moving in the sky anymore. I see only black besides the two little rectangular gaps where the eyes are located. "Uh oh." I say as I am now free falling out of the sky. "CRAP!" I yell out as I am doing flips in the sky, unable to control myself. "Oh crap! Tony! TONY!" I yell out in desperation as I am in panic mode right now. I am falling out of the sky with no way to stop myself, and Tony and the suit have gone dead! What am I going to do?! "I uh…" I think fast about how I could stop myself, so with every bit of strength I have, I start to smack the suit to get the ice off. It does little effect as I am still falling, and every time I see the ground, it is inching closer to me.

"No no no no no no!" I start to scream now as I am running out of time. I think quickly before I remember about the emergency lever on my left leg. I feel around my leg before feeling a bump. I grab onto it and pull it. All of my flaps shoot up as a majority of the ice breaks off. I see the HUD reappear as everything reboots, and the boots and palm repulsor reactive themselves. Before I could crash into the ground, I pull up and manage to barely escape death as I fly up into the sky.

"YES!" I yell out as Tony's screen pops up.

"Get into the lab and land the suit." Tony demands me in a serious voice that I have not heard before.

"But-"

"GET INTO THE LAB AND LAND THE SUIT, NOW!" Tony roars at me. I feel my heart jump as I eep and obey. I fly into the lab and land the suit on the platform.

"Get out."

The suit opens up as I get out of the suit frantically whilst the helmet disappears. I hold my hands together out of pure instinct. Right now, I am left in an uncomfortable silence as I wait for Tony to say something.

"Hastume." Tony speaks, "That was stupid! I told you to stop flying higher into the sky because I did not redesign the suit! I made it exactly like the Model II because I didn't believe that you would disobey me! When I tell you stop doing something, you stop doing it!" I put my head down in shame, not being able to look up anymore, "You could have died Hatsume!" I wince at that as I know I could have. I would be dead now had I not remembered about the lever.

"I….I know….I'm sorry…" I barely squeak out as I hear Tony sigh heavily.

"Hatsume. Don't do that again. I know how that feeling is, I know it. I did the same thing as you, and I almost died as well. When I saw you making the same mistake that I had done before, I knew I had to stop you. I was about to take over the suit, but it shut off before I could." Tony said to me with a soft but stern voice. I didn't bother to speak or look up as I couldn't feel anything but shame. "Hatsume. Pick your head up, stop pitying yourself." Tony instructed me as I did so slowly, some tears in my eyes. "Wipe those tears away too, I'm not going to recall my verdict on mentoring you."

I do so and wipe them away, but still not in the mood to speak.

"Well?" Tony waits, "Nothing to say?"

I take a moment to think about what to say to Tony, "I'm sorry. It was ridiculous, and I should have listened to your commands instead of continuing to follow my ignorant antics that put me in a situation that nearly cost me my life…" I apologize to Tony with a clear, but upset tone.

Tony stays silent for a moment, but I hear him taking a breath. "Hatsume. I know you are excited; this is a huge step for you, but think rationally too. It is very ironic to hear those words coming from me because I know I have done deeds that are questionable and surely some of them were outright atrocious. Many people want to be like me, and that is one of my biggest fears. I want no one to be like me because my life was one filled with many regrets, pain, misery, and nightmares that haunt me till this day."

I sit down and listen to Tony's monologue, knowing that this is a lesson for me to learn and take in. "There are more reasons behind why I want you to be my successor. I believe you have a free spirit, that you understand that some of the choices I have made were not right, and on the contrary some should have landed me in prison. Like I said, there are many people I could have chosen instead of you, but some of the biggest factors were morals and judgment. You have terrific morals and an admirable sense of judgment, and you don't oversight material that many do not take into consideration: My faults, my omissions, my failures. You recognize my missteps and do not wish to make those same blunders whereas some conclude that they could have made the same situation better by changing some aspects, when in reality, nothing would have made those conditions better. Hatsume, I don't just want you to uphold the Iron Man name, I want you to make it better than what I made it."

Whatever sad feelings I had before had all just washed away after hearing Tony's words. How much value he holds in me; how much trust he is putting into me, and all of the confidence he has for me. I stand up with a smile on my face. I hear Tony chuckling, "There is that signature smile of yours. The one that rings resilience, strength, and growth. Now get out of here kid. I'm tired of being all sentimental."

The elevator door opens as I walk to it. I enter it and giggle a little, "Tony. I will be better than you."

"No, I said to make the Iron Man name better. You'll never be better than me."

I laugh a little as the door shuts and takes me up. I look at the time and see that is 5pm; most likely my parents are already home. Once the door opens, I walk out of the elevator and away from the building back towards the train station. It takes me the same amount of time to get home, and sure enough my parents were home. We chatted about my whereabouts; I lied and said I did extra time at the dojo. I ate the takeout they brought, I changed Sprockets nose, took a real shower, and worked myself until I passed out with one thing on my mind.

I will become Iron Man. I will be a hero, and nothing will stop me.


	5. Planning Ahead, and Alleyways

Remember when I said nothing will stop me from becoming Iron Man? Well, I found one thing that can. Death. I explained in my last chapter that I almost died because of my reckless decision to not accept Tony's warnings, and now I am regretting another poor choice I made when it comes to alleyways.

Currently, I am running through an alleyway. My shirt is torn, my body is tired and bruised up, my arms are scratched up to hell, my legs are about to give out, and sleeping sounds so nice right now.

I run over glass and kick beer bottles out of my way. I tip over a trash can that I pass by as I see a fence coming up in my field of vision. I jump and instantly start to climb it as I nearly avoid the hand that tries to grip my ankle. I look behind me and see that they are starting to climb the fence as well. Without wasting anymore time, I begin to run again. How long are these damn alleyways?!

I turn a corner and see cars zooming by. Finally, the public streets. With my last remaining energy, I push my legs past their limits and sprint towards the streets. Right as I am about to exit the alley, I feel something wrap itself around my waist, and then around my mouth. " _NOOOOOOOOOO!"_ I try to yell out as I am yanked back into the alleyway and onto the ground where three young men have all surrounded me while looking down on me, all of them panting heavily. All have visible bruises and blood from the damage I inflicted on them earlier, and their clothing being torn too.

I feel no energy to stand up as I stare at the trio above me in anxiety, pain, and fear. I feel so helpless as I have no one to turn to. Not my mom, my dad, Tony, or even Sprocket.

"You are one god damn tough lady." One of them says to me in a voice that sounded rather soothing, which is very ironic given the situation. He had a light tan skin, long sleek dark hair, a toned out body, brown hazel eyes, about average height, and from the way his arms have stretched out to grab me I'd say his Quirk is stretchable limbs. He wore expensive running shoes, high-quality jeans, and a black long sleeve shirt.

"You really did give us a fight. I would not have expected much from a lass like you." Another says to me. He was a taller, bigger build as his muscles were clearly showing as was his rough accent and rough, long, red hair and blue eyes. He wore brown boots, a ripped pair of jeans, a white tank top, and a hat that said 'Asskicker' on it. His Quirk is still unknown to me.

"Too bad your time has run out." The leader of the group I would presume; a pale skinned male. The first guy looked to be high middle class, but this one was obviously a rich punk. He was literally wearing a tuxedo with a flower attached to his shirt. He had gloves on his hands too with a golden wrist watch, and fancy shoes. His voice spelled that of one who has been spoiled his entire life. His blonde hair was done, until I messed it up in the scuffle I got into with him. Before it became a mess, he had a high skin fade with a long, thick comb over. His eyes were green and piercing. How he was able to keep up with me running in that get up? His Quirk is levitation. Though he can float, it did not make him any faster. He was rather slow to be honest.

The fancy one spoke up again, "Hirogaru, keep her mouth shut and her limbs trapped." Before I could say anything, Hirogaru, the one with the stretchy limbs, wrapped his arms around over my mouth and around my body to secure my arms and legs together. I struggled in his grip, but to no avail as my exhausted body would not break his grasp.

"Hey, Koi. Help lift this chick up. She may not look like it, but she's kinda heavy." Hirogaru spoke as Koi; the muscle of the group, lifted me up with ease. Hirogaru chuckled a bit, "Then again, I wouldn't be surprised. Her boobs are massive man, double d's." I blush in embarrassment and in fury by this creep inspecting my body.

Koi laughs with him as the rich one just snickers. "She'd make a perfect babe if she knew her place in life."

The rich one speaks as they drag me back deeper into the alleyway. "Though I am sure after this, she will learn." He says as he looks at me whilst I look at him back. I stare back at him with ire as I struggle a bit more as he simply smiles at me with lust in his eyes. "Maybe I'll teach you where you stand in this system."

I am thrown against a wall and slide down to the concrete floor below. I look at the three as the rich one pulls out a knife. "Or I could just gut you like a pig. Honestly, I feel more like killing than anything else right now." He looks at his buddies, "Should I kill her fellas?" He asks them as the other two just laugh a little.

"Your choice, Kuso." Hirogaru speaks.

"Be a waste of a good body, but there are plenty fish in the sea." Koi says insultingly.

Now you are probably wondering, how did I end up in this situation? Well, I'll tell you…

* * *

_**A few hours earlier** _

"No, this won't work at all!"

"Hatsume."

"Maybe it needs more power in the rotor?"

"Hatsume."

"But would that cause an explosion?! Not that it wouldn't be out of the norm, but I'd like to keep my feet the way they are!"

"Hatsume!"

I turn around and look behind me to see Power Loader with one of his hands on his helmet. "Yeah?" I ask with a smile.

"Your assistance is required. We have a hero costume in need of upgrades." Power Loader tells me as I wipe sweat off of my face and look away from my baby.

"Ooooooooo! Already?!" I get up in his face, "Who's costume?! Where is it?! What is their Quirk?!" I ask rapidly as Power Loader backs up, but I walk forward with him. Power Loader pushes me away with little force as he groans.

"It belongs to a student named Izuku Midoriya, I have it in my storage, and his Quirk is a strength enhancement quirk that allows him have unparalleled power. It was strong enough to defeat the zero point robot in the Entrance Exam in one punch." Power Loader explains to me.

"Midoriya, huh?" I ask with my hand on my chin, "He's a first year here. I thought it came from someone in the upper classes." I shrug, "No matter." I walk past Power Loader and walk into his storage. Seeing as it would be the only costume in here, I find a decimated light green jumpsuit with a destroyed respirator, and…"Bunny ears?" I ask myself as I pick them up. A picture of Midoriya with bunny ears enters my mind as I giggle at the thought of it. "How cute." I walk out with the costume in hand. "So…Power Loader, how am I going to fix this? This looks more like a job for the clothing designers. I am an engineer which means I solve practical problems, not ones like 'what is beauty?' There is an obvious difference between the two."

Under his helmet, I can see Power Loader rolling his eyes. "I know that. I want you to use the costume as a base because the newer suit for Midoriya hasn't been completed yet by the hero costume designers. From what we know, the new one should be able to help withstand explosions and immense pressure." Power Loader paused, "Think of it more as a side project for you. It would be better for you to ask Midoriya himself about what he needs specifically for his getup since you seem to be acquainted with him already."

"Well, if Midoriya is out punching things, then most likely he would need gloves. Very, very durable gloves. If he able to topple that massive hunk of metal in one punch, that would mean these gloves must be able to withstand more than…" I think in my head for a second before grabbing a board with a built in calculator setting, and start writing down math very quickly. As I am writing calculations, I pause and look up at Power Loader. "Midoriya's gloves must be able to withstand a force that is almost equal to that of All Might's Detroit Smash, Power Loader…" I say in astonishment as Power Loader shares the same expression.

We both look at each other for a second before Power Loader speaks, "You are going to have a lot of fun with those gloves."

I smile widely and toss the board to the side, "OH YOU BETCHA!" I yell out as I grab a blank blueprint sheet from the blueprint dispenser and begin to draw down the base look of the gloves. Once I am done drawing the design, the bell rings indicating for lunch time. I groan in frustration since I am not allowed back into the workshop today. Usually, the rule is for me to eat first, then I can use the workshop still. Today, however, is different. Power Loader said he wouldn't be in the workshop because of a meeting, so the workshop is closed for lunch. I almost had a heart attack when I heard those sinful words come out of his mouth.

The keyword is 'almost' because I remembered something. I can always just break inside. Sure he'll get mad, but that is a problem for a later time.

* * *

I wasted five precious minutes getting food. Five. Whole. Minutes. Five minutes I could have used to lockpick the lock. Five minutes I could have used to upgrade the motor in my soles. Five minutes I could have used to construct the gloves. Five minutes I could have used to create a new element! Five minutes I could have used to solve world hunger! Five minutes I could have used to solve the anti-life equation! FIVE MINUTES I COULD HAVE USED TO…where am I going with this? Whatever I just wasted five minutes of my life, and I can not get it back! What the heck did I even get anyways?

I look down to see that I got orange chicken, a small cup of chow mein, mixed vegetables, and a fortune cookie. Did I go to the famous U.A cafeteria known for its wide variety of fresh foods and selection of meals, or to Panda Express? In my taste, there is no difference because as long as I can eat it, I like it, and it gives me energy to work without causing complications to my insides, I have no problems.

With that being said, I head to the workshop. Sure it may be locked, but I could always just make my own entrance or pick the lock. Once I am at the room, I put my tray down and look at the door to think of a way in or go with option two.

"Hey Pinky Dinky Doo!"

I yelp and turned around, ready to strike down whoever startled me. "The hell?!" I look around in confusion. "Uh…did I just hear Tony or a ghost?"

"Technically I am both. On your goggles, Pinky." I take off my goggles and look at to see that the nanites have started to glow and Tony's A.I has appeared in one of my lens. "Surprised?" He asks me with a smug grin.

"Not really, but it did catch me off guard jackass." I reply to him as I look at the door. "Can we talk later, I need to break into the workshop?"

"Is it electrical?"

"Yeah."

"Give me a second."

I wait for a few seconds until I hear a click. I put my goggles on my head and pick up my tray before slowly and quietly entering the room. Once inside, I lock the door and place my goggles on a table as a full-scale vision of Tony is projected from the nanites.

"You're welcome by the way." He says sarcastically.

"Yeah, yeah." I pass him off as I grab a device that is shaped like a gun. One of my other babies that shoots a capture rope and entangles whoever the target is. I haven't named him yet, though I am thinking of a simple name like 'Capture Gun.'

Tony looks around the workshop and has an amused look on his face, "This place is just depressing and begging for an upgrade."

I chuckle a little under my breath whilst I get a screwdriver and tighten a few screws, "Anyways, why are you here?"

"Well, it never hurts to plan ahead for things, especially for big events." Tony tells me as I look at him.

"I get what you mean, but what big event is coming?" I have an idea of what is Tony is talking about, but he may be referring to something subject.

"The Sports Festival." Tony tells me as an image of the date appears next to him.

"That's a few weeks away, and I think focusing on how to use the Iron Man suit and my training should be on my priority list first considering those two are happening now." I say as I get back to work on my trap gun.

"You're not looking at the bigger picture here Hatsume." Tony says as he walks over to me, "Yes it is three weeks away, and you know how big this event is, right?"

"Of course. All of Japan watches it; saying the word 'big' is an understatement." I answer, still focused on my baby.

"Everyone will be watching. Heroes will be scouting for those who could take an internship under them, Hatsume. Heroes. Don't you think a spotlight as big as this is something worth planning ahead for?" I stop working and look up to Tony to find a grin on his face again.

"Well when you put it that way…Yeah, it is a big deal to look ahead at it. Since Support Class is eligible to compete in it, that would mean that I can enter my name into the contest." I feel my lips forming into a grin of my own, "And maybe I can show up everyone who said I can't do anything." I say before I brow furrows and I begin to think of something else.

Tony sees my expression changing, "What's wrong?"

"Well…I just realized something." I begin to talk as Tony listens to me, "I'll represent not only myself, but millions of others who suffer the same as me. Who go through the same experiences as me. Every year it has always been a hero course student to win the Sports Festival. This year, it could be different. Maybe some others in the past had a chip on their shoulders like me, but none of them could even crack the top three. If I do this correctly, if I plan this carefully, not only could I be the first to ever win a medal, but maybe, just maybe, I could win the gold medal. I could show everyone around the world that even the weaker Quirks can outdo the stronger ones. I wasn't focused on it then, but now…now I am."

Tony looked at me with an impressed look, "What brought those thoughts into your head? To be a symbol to others like you?"

I look Tony in his eyes, "It's common sense. I look up to you because you represent what I believe in. You gave me hope, and showed me that I don't have to follow the norm. I don't have to be raised and developed as a hero; I can just build myself into one. There are many out there who don't know your reasons because of the age of heroes you were in. Everyone is focused on All Might, and he does preach that anyone can be a hero, but his words do not reach many like me because he has the most powerful Quirk. To me, he can't relate. I would believe that with a Quirk like his, he doesn't understand my pain to have a Quirk that is overlooked and lessens my chances of being a hero to slim to none. His words don't reach everyone because of his Quirk. With me; however, it will be different because they could all relate to me." I finish my monologue to see that Tony's expression went from impressed to pride.

"Kid, you really are something special. The world needs more people like you." Tony praises me as I blush and get into a giggle fit. Tony waits patiently for me to stop as I look up to him again, with some heat on my cheeks still. "So, we know what we are trying to accomplish for you now. To win the Sports Festival. Now, how will you win is the better question?"

"Well, I hope by then I've already mastered the basics of how to use the Mark II. If I do, then no doubt that I will use a Model Armor to assist me in victory." I get goosebumps just thinking about it. To show the world that I am the next Iron Man, or in this case, Woman will be a thrill like none other. Iron Woman…nah, not woman. I'll figure the name out later. "Other than that, what else can we do Tony?"

"We research the hero courses. We figure out who they are, and what their Quirks are." Tony says with a knowing tone, "There are two classes of hero courses, 40 students in total. It may be a lot, but figuring out what their Quirks are and how to counter them is the best possible option we have."

I groan loudly and lay on an empty table, "I hate studying things that have nothing to do with my babies…" I complain as Tony rolls his eyes.

"If you are serious about this, then you will do whatever it takes to win the Sports Festival." Tony tells me as I pop my fingers.

"Yeah, I know, but it doesn't mean I will enjoy it." I sit on the table and look at the clock on the wall. "Lunch is almost over. We'll talk about this later?"

Tony nods at me, "Yeah. Eat your fast food. See ya Pinky." Tony then disappears as the nanites stop glowing.

I rethink back to what I said earlier about the Sports Festival. I know what I said about being an idol to those like me, and it kinda scares me to have to be that idol. Yet…it feels kinda cool. I shake my head. " _Easy girl. One step at a time. You're not even Iron Girl yet. That's a crap name too. Damn I need to get a good name soon."_

* * *

The school day went by as usual. I was caught by Power Loader, and even though he scolded me and threatened to kick me out of me workshop for today, I completely ignored him and went back to doing my work. He was grumpy the whole day, but I know he likes me. I also ran into Midoriya and Mina again, talked for a minute but I couldn't stay long because I have training. So I had to excuse myself but not before Mina gave me her number. I should talk to them soon.

I got to my train stop just in time and hopped on. Fifteen minute ride isn't so bad, especially when I am thinking of my own upgrades for my Model Armor suit. As much as I want to carry on the Iron Man legacy, I'd rather be own hero too, not just a copy and paste. I want my own arsenal of weapons and my own color scheme. I would say A.I too, but I think Tony will be that A.I. Speaking of A.I's, I wonder what happened to J.A.R.V.I.S? Tony never brought him up once before. I'll ask him when we are able to be alone.

I get off the train when it comes to my stop. I discovered that a faster way to get to the dojo is to go through a alleyway that has a fence in it. As I am taking my detour, I get this feeling that I am being watched. It's normal for me to get that feeling because as my mom described it to me, " _Your body has matured Mei, more…bigger than other females have it, and with that comes attention, and sometimes it can be unwanted. If someone is being rude, disrespectful, or saying disgusting things about your body, the best you can do is ignore them. If someone attempts to grab you inappropriately, you have every right to defend yourself and to call the police. The best way to avoid such events from happening is to be in a public area, though."_  The difference with this feeling though is that I am getting an uneasy sense that I should run. I start to speed walk, and I hear footsteps that are getting faster with mine behind me. Son of a…I am being followed.

"Psst. Tony." I whisper quietly, "I'm being followed, can you send some help or something?" I get no response. Either he heard me and is doing what I asked of him, or he did not and I am on my own. I climb over a fence that divides the property of the blocks, and that is when my worst fears are confirmed. I hear someone climbing it too. Without hesitation, I sprint towards a corner only to be met by a massive person blocking the exit. I stop in my tracks and back up, my heart pounding slightly hard in my chest.

"Don't run girl, we just wanna talk." I turn around to see two other males. One dressed in quality fashion, and the other in a fancy suit. These three are together I presume, and all of them look to be around my age.

"Yeah, well. I don't." I say to them, "Let me pass through." I say in a demanding voice.

"My my, someone is being rude." Kuso says as he looks to Hirogaru , "You think her parents taught her manners?"

Hirogaru chuckles slightly, "Most likely not. The girl didn't even ask why we wanna talk."

I have no intentions of staying for long, but I know fighting will not be a wise idea. I decide to play their game, and if the opening shows itself, I'll make a break for it. "Fine, I apologize. What do you want?" I ask Kuso, my voice unwavering.

Kuso acts surprised that I apologized to him, "Oh, so they did!" He says as he takes a step towards me as I take one back, "We just wanna know if you could do us a favor. You see, me and my boys have been feeling quite tensed lately, and there hasn't been much room to relieve ourselves. And you look like our type of girl, so we were going to ask if you could help us with that." All of three of them chuckle at me, and close in on me.

I put my arms over my chest in an attempt to hide my lady parts, and in rage. These people are sick. I want to scream to let others know where I am, but I know the big guy will shut me up before I get a chance to. Even then the odds of being heard are not great because the city has noise pollution which in turn makes it almost impossible to hear someone in an alley. Why the hell did I decide to use an alleyway?! Most crimes happen in the shadows, and now I'm probably going to become a victim of one!

I dart my eyeballs around to see if there is any openings, and I spot a circular lid from a trash can that is on the floor and a few other items such as beer bottles, and sharp glass shards. If I play my cards right, I could get away. If I don't...no. I will not become a victim to these petty criminals. I have no choice. I have to fight.

I close my eyes and chuckle a little, catching them all off guard. "I see what you are saying." I say in a calm demeanor, "And you are right." I say in a seductive voice, "I can provide that service~" I wanna strangle myself for even going there, but I have to get their guard down. The three of them look at each and all grin in a perverted manner.

"Well didn't we get our work cut out for us?" Hirogaru says as Koi speaks for the first time.

"Yeah, we did. Didn't think this one would be a-"

Perfect. Their guards fully dropped. I immediately dash towards the trash can lid, pick it up, and throw it at the head of Koi. The big man stumbles back a bit as Hirogaru and Kuso all look surprised for a second before regaining their composure.

"You little shit!" Kuso says as he dashes at me with his right arm reeled back before throwing it forward at me. I wait for him to get closer as I grab his arm and use his momentum to slam him face first into the wall behind me. He falls over in pain on lands on shatter glass, making him yell out more from the glass that as sunken into his skin.

Hirogaru manages to get me in a full nelson grapple when I was not looking, but I am prepared. I use the back of my head to hit him on the bridge of the nose a few times before he lets me go. I quickly spin around and give him a roundhouse kick, knocking him down. Before I could balance myself, Koi has charged at me and pushed me into the wall behind me. My back hits the wall, and fall onto the glass next to Kuso. I am quickly flipped over by Kuso as he puts a hand over my mouth.

"Oh, this is going to hurt a lot for you!" He tells me aggressively as I struggle underneath him, his other hand now groping my breast. Thinking quickly, and aggressively, I remember he is a guy and my foot is very near a particular part of the body that any male would rather not have pain in. I put all of my power into my foot and shoot it up, kicking him where it hurts the most. Kuso pauses before he rolls off, grabbing onto his phallus while howling in agony. I quickly scamper away, ignoring the pain from the glass that is cutting into me and through my clothing.

Koi approaches me and is about to reach for me, but I grab a long, sharp piece of glass and stab it into his wrist, some blood spurting out of it. Koi reels his hand back and grabs the glass shard before pulling it out. Capitalizing on this opening, I get on my feet and with a beer bottle in my hand, I smash it against his skull, cutting him open and making him retreat.

I duck as I feel a fist about to hit me from behind. Hirogaru stumbles a bit forward as he loses some moment. Using the given opportunity, I sweep him off his feet from behind and use my elbow to hit him in the chest as he a slams into the ground. Koi is the only up now, but he is blocking my exit. Without wasting another second, I dash back where I came from to escape.

* * *

_**Present Time** _

And that is how I got here. Bruised, tired, my back against a wall with no way out this time. A knife in my face and three dangerous people looking to kill me.

I am focused on the knife in front of me, though I do not feel at all threatened by it. However…I know damn well Tony is watching, but why the hell isn't he helping me?! I want to scream at him for not helping me, but I don't want to expose him either! I am desperately trying to figure a way out, but I can't find one! I am not going to die when everything started to look up for me!

"Unless…"

I look at up at Kuso as he speaks. He keeps his knife out, but he pulls it back slightly. "Unless you perform what we originally wanted, and I'll let you live." I keep my stare locked onto him.

An ultimatum with no victory for me? Either I give up my body to these bastards, or I die? I begin to weigh my options for a bit before I come to a conclusion.

"Kiss my ass." I say with a small chuckle. I hope Tony throws me a hail mary because I just sealed my fate. Kuso then rushes at me and lifts me onto my feet by my shirt. I keep my smirk on whilst chuckling still. "Is that all you three really got? Because I literally beat the crap out of the three of you earlier, as far as I am concerned, I'm not afraid of you. I'd rather keep fighting than become a toy to your sadistic pleasures." I tell Kuso as he slams me against the wall again, the knife now at my throat. Kuso's face went from cocky and arrogant to one of frustration and anger.

"Oh, I am so going to enjoy making you beg for mercy!" He says as he brings the knife to abdominal area, "Any last words?"

I have a few, "You need a tic-tac cause damn your breath is much more deadlier than that knife."

"GET THE HELL AWAY FROM HER!"

The three criminals and myself all snap our heads to the voice as some redhead, who looks like rock, smashed his fist into Koi's face, and the redhead proceeds to jump on him and swings a massive fist at Koi's face again, essentially knocking him out. Hirogaru was about to react, but he was frozen stiff as a girl with purple hair stabbed earphone jacks into his neck, then a metal pipe started to levitate and whacked itself against the back of Hirogaru's head, knocking him out too as he fell over flat on his face. Realizing the moment, I quickly snatch the knife from Kuso's hand and toss it aside.

Kuso was about to strike me, but his hand was caught by Midoriya as he appeared from nowhere. "Leave her alone!" Midoriya yelled out as he struck Kuso in the face with his other hand. Kuso stumbled back, but was then flipped over as Mina appeared too with Midoriya.

Mina got down and pinned Kuso's arms on his back as she looked up. "Kirishima!" The redhead reacted as he ran over and held down Kuso as Mina got up.

"You aren't going anywhere!" Kirishima said as the other girl and the floating lead pipe also surrounded the rich boy. Kuso struggled a bit under Kirishima's grasp, but Kirishima applied more pressure before Kuso gave up and stopped moving.

"Hatsume!" Both Midoriya and Mina say to me as Mina grabs my hand, "Are you okay?!"

"Did they do anything to you?!" Midoriya asks with a huge face of concern on his face.

I look between them both for a second before instinctively grabbing them both and pulling them into a hug, "Thank you guys so much!" I say in the happiest tone I have had all day. I may have taunted them, and I was not afraid of them, but that did not mean I wasn't afraid of death. I hear them both sign in relief as they hug me back, Midoriya's hug feeling more forced then calm like Mina's. I pull back to see Mina grinning wildly in joy while Midoriya's face is heated up, but has a goofy smile plastered on his lips.

"You're tougher than I thought girl." Mina praises me slightly as she pats me on the shoulder.

"I'm glad you're safe though, it could have been much worse…" Midoriya says with a shiver, but the boy smiles still, "But it didn't, and that's all that matters."

I keep my smile on before it dwindles somewhat as I look at the other three people here, "Who are you guys?"

"Eijiro Kirishima." The redhead responds with extremely sharp teeth, reapplying pressure to Kuso.

"Kyoka Jiro." The one with purple hair and the earphone jacks replies with a smile of her own.

The lead pipe begins to swing back and forth wildly, "Toru Hagakure!" A female voice tells me as the pipe stops moving. "I am invisible, so you can't see me!" Hagakure informs to me as I chuckle slightly.

I look at them before giving my brightest smile again, "Thank you. I wasn't sure I was going to…" My smile fades as Midoriya puts on a firm, yet calm smile.

"It's okay Hatsume; you're safe." Midoriya reassures me.

Mina does the same with a node, "Yeah Hatsume, you're fine. You don't need to worry about this anymore."

They're right. I am safe, the three punks are defeated because of my friends who arrived in time. A thought then appears in my head, "How…how did you find me?" I ask them in confusion.

Midoriya and Mina both pull out their phones, "You sent us a distress call, err...message, remember?" Midoriya questions me.

"Yeah, I was hanging with Jiro, Hagakure, and Kirishima when I got your message. Just so happened that Midoriya was in the area as well. Then we came to your rescue." Mina briefs me.

Tony. He pulled through, but why put them in danger, why not call the police? I'll ask him later. I smile more and rub the back of my head, "Yeah I remember now. Guess I kinda forgot since I was fighting for my life, literally." I look around the area before taking a deep breath, "Has anyone called the cops yet?"

"Already did." Jiro replied as we heard sirens in the distance. "I'll show them where we are." Jiro says as she dashes towards the exit.

* * *

The police apprehended the three and questioned us all. I told them what had happened, and about the fight that took place. None of them got in trouble for using their Quirks because they saved me from being murdered, and the detective was nice enough to leave those details out. Paramedics also arrived and dealt with my injuries. I suffered nothing serious, but I will have a few cuts and bruises for awhile.

I am standing near an ambulance while Midoriya and the others are with the police officers. In the time before the officers showed up, Hagakure also got dressed to avoid being arrested for public nudity in her words. I wouldn't understand how she would be considering no one can see her, but whatever works for her.

"MEI!"

I turn to my left to be greeted by the hugs of my loving parents.

"Oh thank goodness you're okay!" My mother says as she and my father both squeeze me tightly.

"Mom, dad, can't breath." I struggle to get out as both of them let go quickly as I inhale much needed oxygen.

"What were you doing in an alleyway, Mei?!" My father asked, clearly upset.

I stammered a bit, "I…uh…" I didn't answer as my father continues his scolding.

"You know that is where most crimes happens! In the shadows where the public can't see them! You've been taught this at school, and we have told you repeatedly not to enter alleyways under no circumstances! You know this Mei!" I wince at my dad's words as I look down, "And…" My dad shut his eyes and clenched his fist tightly before releasing his grip and letting out a huge sign, "And we almost lost our little girl…" My dad's voice cracked when he said those words.

I knew better, I always knew better yet I was stupid enough to ignore the warnings. Gosh I never felt this guilty before in my life. I hug my dad tightly as he hugs me back, "I'm sorry…That was stupid of me…"

"Mei, sweetie," My mom begins to speak whilst I look at her, "Don't do that again." My mother simply says as well all have a more gentle three way hug.

"Yes Mommy." I reply softly. Yesterday I didn't listen to Tony. Today, I didn't listen to my parents. I am a horrible when it comes to listening…

All of us let go as I turn to where Midoriya and the others are, "Those people saved me." I point to them as they all wave to us. My parents look at them for a second before making their way to them.

"You all saved our daughter?" My father asks as Mina and Midoriya nod their heads.

"Yeah, we all did." Midoriya answers.

"Mmhmm. We all got a message from Hatsume that she needed our help, heck she even sent us coordinates where she us at. We all came as fast as we could, and just in time too." Mina adds in.

"You have our utmost gratitude and thanks." My mother expresses to them, "You're our heroes for today." All of them smile widely while Midoriya gushes and falters again. Gosh he really can't take compliments easily can he? He is so cute.

"Wait a minute…" My dad suddenly mumbles. He looks between Mina and Midoriya for a few seconds, "We know you two."

Both of them perk up with confused looks, "We do?" Both of them ask simultaneously.

"Yeah," My dad chuckles, "Mei has mentioned you two before. I recognize you both from the details she described to us."

Once more Midoriya blushes in embarrassment whilst looking down and rubbing the back of his head, but Mina takes the acknowledgement in stride and keeps her composure. "Well then, I guess we might have to introduce ourselves." Mina says as Midoriya nods slightly.

"Mina Ashido, but I prefer being called Mina."

"Izuku Midoriya."

My parents look behind them to the others as they all reply in turn.

"Jiro."

"Kirishima."

"Hagakure."

They all shake hands with my parents. My mother speaks next, "Well, it is a pleasure to meet all of you and thank you again for saving our daughters life." My mother looks at me before looking back at them, "One day we'll repay all of you, we must."

Kirishima waves his hands in front of him in a polite manner, "No, it's okay. We're training to be heroes, all of us."

My parents look surprised. "All of you are in the hero course?"

"Same class." Jiro says.

"Class 1-A!" Hagakure responds and as she wraps her arms Mina and Midoriya's shoulders.

"But still, though," My mother continued, "We insist on it. It is the least we can do. Besides, you might find yourself in someone's company who will refuse to let you leave without compensation. Some of us are just like, take this as a learning curb." My mother can be tricky and manipulative in her own way.

The students of Class 1-A look at each other and shrug as if they all mentally agree with one another. Midoriya is the one to speak up, "We accept then."

"Great! I'll make a note of that mentally, and I will think of repayment when I get home! Then I'll just have Mei gather the five of you when I know what to give you all!" My mother is now getting excited as her hyperactive nature is showing. I look away in embarrassment as the class looks at me and then back to her. "Buuuuuut now I guess is a good time to leave." My mother announces as my dad and I look to her. "Hope to see you all again!" My mother says as the three of us begin to leave.

"Bye guys!" I wave to them as they wave back to us and say their farewells.

* * *

Once I have returned home, our day went by as normal, though I still got in trouble for entering the alleyways. My worst fears were realized when my parents said that I am not allowed to use any of my tools for a week unless it has to do with Sprocket or anything in the house. As if today wasn't already bad enough, now I can't build or upgrade any of my babies! After I had finished eating, I excused myself to my room where I locked the doors, turned on a new baby I installed which cancels out any noise coming from my room and yelled out at the top of my lungs, "TONY!"

The computer boots up and Tony appears on the screen, "WHAT?!" He replies with as much amplification as I did.

"Why contact Mina and Midoriya instead of the police?! Thank you by the way, but still?!" I still need that question answered, and it never left my mind when I thought of it.

"Because you need to build relationship with others. You may have Mina and Midoriya's numbers sure, but you never talk to them so they are not really your friends. In that dire moment, I decided to contact them instead of the police, besides, those kids are no pushovers either. They can take care of themselves and I knew they would defeat those perverted delinquents." Tony explained himself. "I didn't even plan for the other three to show up, so that's an added bonus."

I'm not satisfied with the answer, but the events already happened and I can't change the outcome. Though I am glad they saved me, I wouldn't have called them to put them in harm's way either.

Tony snapping his fingers and speaks again, "Right! I have something important to tell you!" Tony tells me.

I sit down on my bed, "Yeah?"

"I was thinking back to what you said about having your own Model Armor, and although I think you are not ready for one, it wouldn't be bad to have one ready already." Tony reveals to me.

I am able to withhold a lot of things, but per usual, I am now up in his face with a giant smile on my face. God he really knows how to make a girl happy doesn't he? "WHEN CAN I HAVE IT?!" I simply ask.

"Before the festival that is for sure, but for now we have to work on building it. I was planning on making it a surprise, but then I figured not to. You like designing your own creations because then you know how to utilize it to its fullest potential and I know you enjoy adding your own twist to it. With that in mind, I decided that I would build your suit, but you have to tell me what you want to have installed. Think carefully, though, because you are limited to six abilities for the time being." Tony tells me as the computer takes me to a link that shows all of the Iron Man armors. "Now, take a pick. Choose your base model design, and we'll go from there."

I scroll through the list. I know all of these models by heart, and I can only choose one to base my armor off of? Which one do I choose? Model 43? Model 42? Model 11? The Ultimate Armor? Which one? I take a few minutes to look through my options before finally settling on one, my most favorite armor.

"This one." I click on the model armor as Tony chuckles a little.

"Model 37. The original Bleeding Edge. This one was one of my favorites of all time." Tony looks at me, "This is the one you want to base your design on?"

"Yeah." I nod as I run back to my bed and pull out a notebook, "And I'm going to get cracking on what I want for it and the color pattern for it."

Tony clapped his hands as he showed me a live feed of his lab, "Alright, Pinky." The live feed showed mechanical arms reacting on their own will as they start to gather assorted metals from various areas and begun to forge them into a new suit, "Time to assemble your armor. Today we design, tomorrow we construct, and then later, we test it."


	6. Version I

Tony had his suits that he dubbed 'Model Armor' or 'Mark'. My suits will be called, 'Version'. I was thinking of calling them babies, but I decided against it because it just did not feel right. Today, we built Version I. My very first suit. I worked for weeks to show that I am deserving to be Tony's successor, and yesterday, he finally deemed me worthy of that honor. We built it yesterday, and now today, we are going to design it and put it to the test.

School went by as normal, and training at the dojo was more lively due to my blood pumping with adrenaline. Heck I was going so fast with my blows, and being as precise as I possible could make them, that sensei thought I was still traumatized from criminals attacking me. Afterwards, I made my way to the abandoned Stark Building where I entered the elevator to enter the testing lab once again.

The door opened to show the room remained the same, empty. But in the middle where the platform stood was a plain chromium suit, but it was no ordinary suit because this is my baby. Well technically not mine fully, Tony and I produced this new baby together…oh god that did not sound right. Uh…Tony and I designed it together; that's much better.

"Pinky." Tony announces his presence through the intercoms, "Version I has been built, now decide on the color scheme you want, modifications you want to apply to it, and start designing this beauty to your heart's extent. Afterwards, we will have it tested."

I take my time walking towards my baby. This is what I have been waiting for, for a long time now. She may not be complete yet, but once we finalize everything, I will be taking out her for a date in the skies. "Say….Tony!" I yell out to him, "Can you do me a favor?"

"Depends on what it is." Tony replies back.

"Can you gather data on the hero course students? I need to know what abilities will work best in the Sports Festival." I say as I am looking through a color wheel for a motif. Surely having daddy would be great right now given his professional job is being an artist, but I am certain that showing him that I need his opinion for the color pattern of my Version I would probably get me grounded for life.

Without a response, Tony starts to collect information on every student in the hero courses whilst I continue to look for the right colors. After a few brief moments of silence, Tony speaks up, "Alright. I looked them over, and I believe we can shorten the list of people to worry over." Oh thank god I don't have to study up on 40 different Quirks.

I drop my backpack onto the ground and pull out a notebook from it that contains all of my ideas I drawn down for weapons. I flip to an empty page and title it, 'Opposing Quirks' to know what to look out for, "Alright, who should we be worried about?" I ask Tony.

"In total, you need to know how to counter for exactly 12 different Quirks. 8 from Class 1-A and 4 from Class 1-B." Tony claims before speaking again, "From Class 1-A, I'll give their names and their Quirks. Ready to write them down?" I nod my head. "Okay. Momo Yaoyorozu, Creation. She can create any object from her body through the fat cells in her body." Sounds like my kind of lab partner. I like her already; I have to find her and meet her and convince her to be my lab partner.

"Your new pal Kirishima, Hardening. You saw what he could do, and from it seems he is a tank so repulsor blasts won't affect him." That is tricky. If I can't blast him away or stun him, what will I do? This requires more planning.

"Tenya Iida, Engine. He has engine boosters on his calves which make him move at super-speeds." That'll probably be a challenge, but depending on his speed, my Wire Arrow surely could keep pace with him or even outmanoeuvre him.

"This one is the oddball because she doesn't have a Quirk, but from her history, she is a challenger. Tsuyu Asui, Frog mutation. Though having the powers of a frog does not seem that difficult to get by, she has shown to be calm and collective in stressful situations, and appears to nearly have her mutation mastered. She also possesses a tongue that can reach up to 20 meters. This is one girl you can not overlook." Frogger huh? Just hit her with a stun shot, and she is out, but getting her in my sights will be the tricky part.

"Ochaco Uraraka, Zero-Gravity. Believe it or not, this one is the underdog of Class 1-A. If she touches you with all five of her fingers, you become weightless. That is a huge problem considering that 1% of power when using the repulsor soles will make you fly as if you were using 20% power. So keep your distance." Zero-Gravity? Oh, she would also make a great partner in the lab, her Quirk could move around so many of those heavy objects with ease.

"Now, here are the big three. Izuku Midoriya…Strength Enhancement." Tony took a noticeable pause, what was that about? "Like I'm sure you know, his strength is almost equal to that of All Might's Detroit Smash, so one hit from him will be enough to overpower you. Not because the suit will be destroyed, oh no, but because the amount of wind force that is pushing you away will definitely cause a ring-out."

"'Ring-out'?" I asked with confusion, "Why a ring-out?"

"Oh right, I know all of the tests that the are happening at the Sports Festival due to private emails and such. Don't expect me to tell you them though; I still want you to be challenged to see how good you are with improvisation." Tony explains.

Damn it. "Whatever then." I say, "Let's continue."

"Katsuki Bakugo, Explosion. He is able to secrete nitroglycerin-like sweat from the palm of his hands and create explosions. The more he packs, the bigger the boom. Not only that, but he seems to know the art of war pretty fairly, but probably not as much as the next guy on the list." Interesting on many levels, but I will need to be focused against him.

"And lastly, the most powerful in Class 1-A, Shouto Todoroki, Half-Cold Half-Hot. The left part of his body is able to emit fire while the right side forms ice. He is able to use them for short, medium, and long ranged attacks; and because he is the literal fusion between Iceman and Human Torch, Todoroki is most likely capable of causing as much damage as Midoriya." Oh. That will be 'fun' to go up against.

"That rounds up Class 1-A's biggest threats, have ideas on how to counter them?"

"Well," I begin to think for a minute as I look through all of the Quirks. Each of them have a strength that can defeat me, but huge weaknesses as well. "Most of them can be defeated if I were to stay at a distance or even have stun shots to take them out. For Kirishima though I may just have to push him out of the ring or constrict him so he doesn't move. But regarding Todoroki, I will need to sacrifice one slot for a weapon against him because he could easily defeat me if I were to face him." I tap my chin to concentrate on what I could develop to use against them before I come up with many different types of weapons. Another thought comes into my head, "Before I finalize what I want for my suit, tell me about the 4 from Class 1-B."

"Alright then." Tony takes a minute before speaking once more, "Setsuna Tokage, Lizard Tail Splitter. She can split her body into many different parts, but the number varies depending on the shape and size of those parts." So basically something like a blob? The same weapons I am thinking about using against Todoroki could prove to be effective against this one too.

"Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu….what a creative and loving name for a child." Tony remarks with some snark, "His Quirk is a copy of Kirishima's, except he is made out of steel than rock." The same situation applies then, no need to change plans.

"Ibara Shiozaki, vines. Her hair is basically vines that can grow, attack, and be used to grab. No doubt that will be a huge problem to deal with." Sheesh, same thing with Tokage and Todoroki. I think I know the exact weapon that is definitely needed.

"Itsuka Kendo, Big Fist. She can increase the size of her hands to giant sized fist. Though it makes her slow when at full size, I wouldn't doubt she knows that and has found a way around that weakness. Her punches are not as strong as Midoriya's but Kendo is still not someone to take lightly." Okay, stunning weapons are definitely needed. Speaking of big fists from Kendo, she kinda reminds of Mr. Fantastic, Kamala Khan, and a retro game I found at the junkyard that I managed to get working: BattleToads.

Taking the rest of the notes down, I review them before coming up with my final thoughts. "Alright, I know what I want." I say with confidence as I walk up to the suit, "I'll need a reactor that can change the temperature of the armor's outer surface so it can instantly freeze objects in place when I make contact with it, and in a few seconds, heats up so ice melts instantaneously. I will also like to add one my babies into my arsenal, the capture gun, but make into a cannon so I could entrap bigger foes. I also want to add in tasers. One for each of my wrists and add homing tasers into my chest armor. That's four slots taken. I would like to have a replica of your 'Hyper-Velocity Impact' modification, so I am able to think quicker, act faster, and have a protective electric shield. Lastly, the iconic Unibeam." I am so proud of myself, and so hyped to see that my requests went in as I see the armor rising into the air before many arms start to take it apart and apply the mods I wanted into it.

"This should take some time, any idea on those colors yet?" Tony questions me.

I smile and look up at my armor, "I do. Where it was red, use magenta; where it was gold, use navy blue."

I can hear Tony sounding pleased, "Not a bad combination of colors. Alright, let's wait then. Just watch the show unfold." I sit down and watch the suit starting to be built. There are many sparks, many replacements, and the contrasting of the six conversions I asked for. As I am watching this though, I can't help but sing to myself softly.

" _Yeah, you could be the greatest_

_You can be the best_

_You can be the King Kong banging on your chest_

_You could beat the world_

_You could beat the war_

_You could talk to God, go banging on his door"_

 

I unconsciously get up and sing louder,

 

" _You can throw your hands up_

_You can beat the clock_

_You can move a mountain_

_You can break rocks_

_You can be a master"_

 

I start to sing more louder, loud enough for Tony to hear as I am not noticing my actions,

 

" _Don't wait for luck_

_Dedicate yourself and you can find yourself"_

 

Now I yell out loudly as I am feeling many different emotions running through my veins from torment I felt my whole life, the hopelessness from when I was rejected, and now my will to overcome all the odds.

 

" _Standing in the hall of fame_

_And the world's gonna know your name_

_'Cause you burn with the brightest flame_

_And the world's gonna know your name_

_And you'll be on the walls of the hall of fame!"_

 

I start to dance along with the lyrics subconsciously with more pride and raw emotion flowing through me than ever before,

 

" _You could go the distance_

_You could run the mile_

_You could walk straight through hell with a smile_

_You could be the hero_

_You could get the gold_

_Breaking all the records that thought, never could be broke_

_Do it for your people_

_Do it for your pride_

_How you ever gonna know if you never even try?"_

 

I recall my many dreams and fantasies of being a hero. How I envisioned myself being a top pro hero in the world, of how I was going to save millions of people,

 

" _Do it for your country_

_Do it for you name_

_'Cause there's gonna be a day_

_When your, standing in the hall of fame_

_And the world's gonna know your name_

_'Cause you burn with the brightest flame_

_And the world's gonna know your name_

_And you'll be on the walls of the hall of fame_

_Be a champion, be a champion, be a champion, be a champion_

_On the walls of the hall of fame"_

 

I begin to add jumps and skips to my dancing, not losing my balance for a second,

 

" _Be students, be teachers_

_Be politicians, be preachers_

_Be believers, be leaders_

_Be astronauts, Be champions_

_Be truth seekers_

_Be students, be teachers_

_Be politicians, be preachers_

_Be believers, be leaders_

_Be astronauts, be champions"_

 

I dance my way back to the where the platform stood and stopped moving and looked up with the brightest smile and the most energetic feeling I have ever felt in a long time,

 

" _Standing in the hall of fame_

_And the world's gonna know your name_

_'Cause you burn with the brightest flame_

_And the world's gonna know your name_

_And you'll be on the walls of the hall of fame_

_You could be the greatest, you can be the best_

_(You can be a champion)You can be the King Kong banging on your chest_

_You could beat the world (you can be a champion)_

_You could beat the war (you can be a champion)_

_You could talk to God, go banging on his door (you can be a champion)_

_You can throw your hands up (you can be a champion)_

_You can beat the clock (you can be a champion)_

_You can move a mountain (you can be a champion)_

_You can break rocks (you can be a champion)_

_You can be a master (you can be a champion)_

_Don't wait for luck (you can be a champion)_

_Dedicate yourself and you can find yourself (you can be a champion)_

_Standing in the hall of fame (you can be a champion)_

_You can be a champion!"_

I finish just in time as the armor started to come down. Slowly, but surely, the reveal of my greatest baby has finally shown herself to me. When the armor finally lowers itself to ground level, I take a sharp breath as my suit was in my sights. Version I. It is the same as Bleeding Edge, just like I wanted, but where the red color once was was now replaced by a smooth, polished, metallic, beautiful shade of magenta with the gold being a cool navy blue. In the middle was an Arc Reactor that was the color of cyan. The suit then let out a strong 'hiss' as the back of it opened up, indicating that it is ready to be deployed.

"You sang about destiny." Tony finally says, "What are you, a Disney Princess?"

I sign heavily and looked down with my body slumped over. My greatest moment just turned into another comical moment for my amazing mentor. "Just had to ruin the moment, huh?" I straighten myself out as Tony snickers.

"Hey, you were the one singing and dancing around like Cinderella, you think I pass up an opportunity like that?" Tony chortled.

I get behind the suit, "You are a real jackass!" I say loudly before calming myself and looking inside the opened suit. "But….thank you." I look up towards the ceiling and smile warmly.

Even though I can not see him, I feel as though Tony is smiling back at me, "You're welcome kid, now get in and let's put this new suit through the wringer." Without hesitation, I enter Version I.

Version I clamps itself shut as she then powers on. The HUD lights up as it presents me with data, a clear display of the area in front of me, the remaining battery power in the suit, a hitbox that shows how much damage the armor has sustained, and a small box in the top left that reads 'Tony'.

"Hatsume," Tony begins, "While you were being Cinderella, I was devising a series of trials that will help you prepare for the other children you'll be facing off against. You will be battling against some robots that resemble heroes and villains from my time as some replicate and share, similar fighting styles and Quirks. I made them considerably weaker, so you have a chance at success and not defeated so easily. However, two of those children have Quirks that don't core relate to any of the heroes or villains of the past such as Uraraka's Zero-Gravity and Momo's Creation; also, Bakugo and Midoriya do relate to two people who work well with explosives and punches that can shatter buildings, but one self-destructs rather than causing explosives from his hands and the other is known as the Hulk. No need to explain that one. So we will work on strategies for the four of them. Understood?"

"Roger." I simply say as I am currently going over my arsenal of weapons, where they are, and how much I can use them. "Who am I facing against first?"

"Kirishima, new friend of yours, but he shares a similar style of fighting and Quirk of an old friend of mine. In honor of my past comrade, I will say his famous catchphrase: 'It's clobberin' time.'" Tony chuckles lightly as a beam of electricity hits the ground and standing where the lighting struck was an orange-rock looking man with blue tight shorts on with the number '4' acting as a belt buckle. As the lighting hits the ground, the ground suddenly lights up as black lines appear several yards away from where Thing is standing. I look around to see that black lines create a massive square as if they represent a ring. "To win the tournament, you must find a way to incapacitate your rival whether that is by knocking them out or rendering them unable to move, or win by ring-out. The choice is yours, but you have to figure out how to achieve victory." Tony explains as Thing begins to move, "Start!"

I immediately fly near Thing as I shoot cyan repulsor blasts at him, but nothing happens as Thing rampages through my blast and nearly grabs me the ankle. I fly out of his reach before flying down as fast as I can, and I deliver a powerful right hook across Thing's face. Thing is slightly stunned, but strikes back with a powerful punch of his own that knocks me back far from him. I am able to regain control of myself before I am cross over the ring-out line. Thinking logically for a second, I study Thing for a moment. "He's big and bulky, and there is no way that I will be able to stun him or fight him fist to fist. So knocking him out or getting a ring-out victory is out of the picture, which leaves the best option to win is to making him immovable." I say to myself before Thing begins to charge at me. I charge at him as well, and before we make contact, I swerve to the side as Thing rushes past me. I quickly spin around, unveil the capture cannon from my shoulder, and fire a large capture rope at Thing. It wraps itself around him, and as he tries to get it off, it only constricts him more before he is unable to move his arms at all.

"I win." I simply say with a smirk on my face before lightning zaps Thing away as the rope falls harmlessly to the floor. "How does the lightning do that?"

"Well, when the lightning zaps the robots, their bodies become molecular, and the molecules are transferred from area to area through the electricity. It works on organic life; I tested it on many types of living organisms before myself when I still had a body." Tony clarifies as I am left stunned and excited. "Don't lose focus. You still have other robots to face off against." As Tony finishes talking, another bolt strikes the ground as a new foe appeared. He wore a green suit with a silver lighting bolt on his chest and silver gauntlets. His hair was also silver. "Quicksilver. Not the fastest hero ever, but he ranks up there. He was the first one to come to mind when thinking of pure speedsters. Now, I decreased his speed dramatically, but he is still very fast. Start."

Tony was not lying because the second Tony said 'start', Quicksilver was already on me and delivering a fury of punches on my suit and that was enough to start pushing me back. I planted my feet into the ground and swung at Quicksilver, only to hit air. I then felt more strikes coming from my back, then both of my sides, then in my face and chest, and then it was just strikes everywhere. I could hear my suit beeping and showing red as it was taking too much damage. I blasted off into the sky to regroup myself as I looked down to see Quicksilver was just standing there with a smirk on his face. "Smug prick." I say as I rush him once more but he dodges me and attempts to hit me back, but since I have a Hyper-Velocity Impact upgrade, I am able to quickly grab his wrist and pull him into my body where I have my temperature reactor lower itself to freezing levels. Quicksilver struggles in my grasp, but is soon frozen solid as ice surrounds his entire body.

"Easy enough." I say before I see the ice vibrating. Reacting on instinct and desperation, I pick up the ice block and quickly toss it out of bounds. "Or maybe not." I say as Quicksilver is zapped away.

"Quicksilver is fast and is able to vibrate his body quickly enough to phase through solid objects. I highly doubt Iida will be able to phase, but you never know what a person is capable of until you face them." Tony mentions as multiple beams strike the ground. This time, it could be a villain or a hero from your perspective. A man with brown hair appears as he is wearing black boots, pants, and a black trench coat. Under the coat was a green shirt that had six yellow large dots on it that had lines connecting them all. "Though Setsuna Tokage may not share the same Quirk as Multiple Man, I do not know if Tokage can indeed pull off such a feat to create duplicates of herself like Multiple Man. She may be able to, but I have no knowledge of that, so better safe than sorry." Tony details to me as I laugh a little. "Start."

"This is going to be easy. You already know why." I say cockily as I boost myself into the air, and land smack down in the middle of the ring. The Multiple Men quickly surround me in every direction. Before the dupes attack me, I crouch on my knees, extend my arms out, and fire a yellow laser from my wrists as I spin around in a circle. All of the Multiple Men fall to the ground as I unclip my heavily modified laser-taser from my wrists. I came up with this idea when I recalled Tony using laser weapons, and seeing how he used it when he was cutting through multiple objects. Instead of making them lethal, I had the ions be specifically designed to send electricity through my opponent to stun them. Lightning hits all of the Multiple Men as I chuckle to myself, "Wow, these are kinda easy." I say as I look at my arms, "With this suit, I could win instantly."

"Oh really?" Tony asks with annoyance in his voice, "If that is the case, then this next one should be a piece of cake. By the way, I made him this photocopy on purpose."

Lightning hits the ground once more as I turn to look at my new opponent, but I instantly freeze up in my suit. Standing there was a villain, but it was one of the most dangerous I ever read about. His body was this blood red slime that had tendrils popping out of his body, his face had a smile that was going to give me nightmares and two large white eyes without pupils.

"Mmmm….." It began to hum lightly with a disorated voice. I can not move a muscle as my feet remain trapped on the ground as I could only stare in horror as I knew who this was. Carnage. It had looked at me for a second before it began to chuckle hauntingly as I back up slowly. "I can smell your fear…I can smell your blood, your flesh." Carnage speaks to me as he takes one step towards me. "But you'll smell much more better after I am done eating your carcass!" Carnage yells at me as it launches tendrils at me. I barely get out of the way as Carnage then runs towards me and tackles me into the ground under him. "DIE!" It says to me as he lifts up an arm and creates an axe out of it.

In a fearful and desperate attempt to escape, I active my boosters and fly out from under him. Though I do not get far as he fires more tendrils at me and grabs me by the leg. "Going somewhere?!" Carnage taunts me as he pulls me back towards him, and he slams me onto the ground and plunges his tendrils into my Version I. I start to panic as I begin to feel the tendrils enter the suit and surrounding themselves around my body. Thinking quickly, I remember that symbonites were weak to hot temperatures. I amplify my suits thermometer as the suit reaches up to 1,000 degrees fahrenheit in seconds as Carnage quickly reels his tendrils back to himself.

"How annoying." Carnage simply says before he starts to create more tendrils, "You're really annoying! Just die already!" He yells out as I duck under most the incoming tendrils, and shoot him in the chest with one a blast, but he recovers quickly and rushes me before kicking me away towards the black lines. I am barely able to stop myself before I cross the line, but react quickly as Carnage rushes me once more. At this moment, I switch on my protective shield as I grab Carnage by the face.

"Put all power through my left hand and discharge it, now!" I say as the shield quickly evaporates away; it then cooks Carnage as the robot screams in agony as it is burning from the intense heat of the electricity before he slumps over. I throw him out of the ring before landing on my butt, taking off the mask, and panting heavily in fear.

"Not so cocky now, are you?" Tony says with a smug attitude as I fire a repulsor blast in a random direction.

"Why the hell did you put that thing against me?! Are you trying to give me a heart attack?!" I yell out as keep yelling, "I literally felt the tendrils seep into my suit and onto my body! I thought you said they were not lethal!" I yell out more as that hideous smile of his was scarred into my mind.

"But you prevailed, didn't you?" Tony talks back, "Sure I said all of those stipulations, but I wanted to see how'd you react against a real evil. You almost met death yesterday, but you were not scared of those three wannabe villains. How would you react when you are scared? Well, we saw that. You froze, but were not immobile either. You barely found a way to win, but remember, that these are just watered down versions of the real deal. I chose Carnage because that guy is one of the few villains who knows how to give true intimidation. Many villains are capable of making heroes pause and feel fear, but to feel real, utter terror and a sense of lingering death along with that sensation of fight or flight attitude, or true desperation, only a select few can give off that vibe. Could I have chosen someone else? Sure, but he had tendrils, and those can mimic the vine Quirk of Ibara Shiozaki. I combined two lessons into one. Hate me for it, but I know how to make you learn." Lightning struck Carnage, and his body disappeared.

God I hate him so much, I won't be able to sleep for awhile. I hate his idea, but I learned the hard way too. I was being egotistical, and Tony did not hesitate to break that ego; there would be no other reason to have Carnage in the mix. I shake my head and try to clear my thoughts of Carnage as I put the helmet back on and stand up, ready to fight once again.

"This next villain I modified a bit for this fight. Originally, he had four abilities, but seeing as Todoroki only has two, I edited his DNA and powers so he may only use Ice and Fire."

Another bolt hit the ground. Standing there was a creature wearing a purple skin tight suit with the center being cover in black in a 'V' shape with black gloves and boots. His skin was green with his eyes also being green, and he had no hair, but he did have a furrowed chin and large pointed ears.

"An age old enemy of the Fantastic Four, and of the Avengers. The Super-Skrull. Well…sorta." Tony says as I stare at the alien creature in utter confusion.

"Huh. So that is how it looks like. It really does like a like goblin than the pictures on website shows for it. To think this race caused itself to go extinct is a travesty, though…" I somberly say. Tony explained in his articles that after a final failed attempt at invading Earth, the Skrull empire imploded and overthrew its own government and a civil war broke out. Accordingly, there are no survivors from that war, but that does not mean there could be a few stranded roaming around somewhere. Though they may have been evil, I believe that the race could have been redeemed if they had a more peaceful ruler. I don't think any race deserves to die off.

"Don't mourn them. They had it coming." Tony coldly states.

I say nothing and get into a fighting stance, "I'm ready."

"Fight."

The Super-Skrull launches himself forward with a spinning fire attack as I dodge out of the way, but the alien thinks quickly before stopping himself and planting its foot on the ground as ice begins to form at a rapid pace. I fly up into the air to avoid it as Skrull then puts his arm out and spits fire from the palm of his hand. I turn up my temperature to freezing levels to avoid getting burned as I fire a blast at Skrull. It hits in the chest as he takes a step back, but does does not go down. Skrull quickly runs in a different direction as I chase him with my homing taser ready to be launched. Skrull stops in place putting his arm out and creating an ice slide with his hand as he rides the ice with one hand while shooting fire with the other at me. I quickly evade the fires and fire my blasts at him as we engage in a mid-air battle. I fire several homing tasers at Skrull, but he jumps into the air, puts his ice hand forward, and freezes my tasers as they harmlessly fall to the ground.

I take advantage of the situation, fly towards Skrull and uppercut him in the jaw before I grab him by the head and fly straight towards the ground where I plant his head into the floor. Skrull turns his body into flames as I jump back to avoid his flames. Skrull gets back up and stares at me.

"All who oppose the Skrull empire shall be executed! You are no exception!" He roars at me in a voice that sounds as if he has two different vocal cords. Skrull fires a massive amount of fire his legs as he instantly takes off into the air as I tail him from behind and try to blast him. Skrull turns around and throws fireballs at me. They fly past by me as I wait for my auto target system to get me a clear shot. It locks on, and I fire a blast at Skrull. The blast hits him on the back as the flames from the soles of feet stop flaming and he falls towards the ground as I land a few feet away from him. Skrull was about to get up, but I fire multiple blasts at him to keep him down as my the rest of my homing tasers get locked onto him. Once I see they are ready, I fire them while pausing my repulsor blasts on him as all of tasers land around his body as he now as stiff as a twig.

"Damn...he was quick and knew what to do. I can only imagine what the real Super-Skrull was like." I say to myself as the Skrull disappears from the bolt that hit him.

"Super-Skrull, the you faced being Kl'rt, is a very dangerous opponent. He is able to take on the Fantastic Four by himself, so whenever we know we're going to be facing him, there is a lot of preparing that is taken to fight him." Tony details me, "That was the last one. Let's talk about the others."

I take off my helmet and walk float back towards the platform. I land Version I on the platform where she is then taken above me for repairs and reloading. I get out the same notebook and flip to another empty page I title: 'Strategies.'

Tony takes a few moments before he speaks, "Momo can use creation to create anything from her fatty cells, but I would suppose there as to be a limit to how much she can before she tires herself out."

"There is that, but how long does it take to create those items? If it takes her awhile to create items, then I could use that to my advantage. Also, and this one depends on her mental game, if I keep her on the run, she will not be able to focus on creating what she wants to counter me and that will leave her wide open for a quick finisher." I preach my own ideas whilst writing them down.

"Those are good ideas, organize those ideas into separate plans. If one of those schemes doesn't work, try the next one." I write numbers next to the ideas to note what should be plan a and beyond. "With Uraraka, it's the issue of not getting touched. Now we do not know who fast she is, but I won't think it will be a problem considering your homing tasers will catch her." Though it is kinda harsh and arrogant to pass off the underdog of the Class 1-A, Version I clearly holds a guaranteed win against her though.

"Despite that advantage, I won't take her lightly. Who knows, she might surprise me if I don't take her seriously." I imagine Uraraka won't be holding back either considering this tournament will help shape her future.

"Okay, moving on then. From video I have seen from Bakugo, he is a prodigy when it comes to battle. He's skilled, clever, tactful, adaptive, and an all around fierceful combatant. He knows how to use his Quirk for various attacks, and to move around the area faster, even to where he could fly it seems. His biggest downfall; however, is that he is way too cocky for his own good. If you can expose that ego and use it against him, you will be able to win."

Bakugo. He sounds like he could be a great hero with all of that talent. Heh, I am kinda excited to meet him to see what kind of person he is even though that ego could be knocked down a few pegs. "I think's good enough for me." I speak up and put my notebook away.

"What about Midoriya?" I can sense Tony's confusion in his voice.

"I want to study and prepare a plan for him. I want to show you that I help myself, and I think doing at least one of the strategies by myself will be a good way to show that." Of course I want to prove more than that. I wanted to plan against everyone, but maybe I will a later time.

"Alright then Pinky, suit yourself." Tony lowers the suit for me as Version I was quickly repaired and reloaded, "When it was getting repaired, I had nanites take over the suit. Now Hatsume, this is a big responsibility for you, so listen up." I look up with a hopeful smile as I believe I know what he is going to say, "This is your suit. I made it for you, so you could have it at all times, not so I could keep it. You do what you will with it, but I expect you to keep it out of anyone's hands, I don't care who it is, no one else will ever get in that suit. I also expect you to keep me a secret still and not tell anyone that I am alive still. And finally, remember why you have that suit every time you use it. Do not forget why you have it or what drove you to be my successor. Never forget who you are when the populace chants your name." Tony is dead serious about this because his voice also sounds just as serious as when I almost died in the Mark II.

I nod my head rapidly and pump my fist into the air. "Yes Tony!" I get into the suit before the nanites begin to climb up towards my goggles and fuse into them. I look around to take in the lab once more, but I lose my smile quickly and let out a forlorn sign.

"What's wrong? Aren't you happy you have your own 'Model Armor' or 'Version I' in your case?" Tony asks with concern.

"I am happy, I am really am it's just…" I look down and left out a stifled laugh, "This is going to sound stupid, but I kinda just want to hug you now…" I say with a sad voice, but have a small smile. "But it's okay though, I am just happy to have you in my life. It must be fun being immortal in the internet."

"It sounded more cheesy than stupid, but…" I hear Tony let out a huge sign of his own, one that sounds depressed too, "You would think being in the internet is fun, but it really isn't, far from it." I look up in utter confusion as Tony continues, "I long for the day that I can touch something with my hands or feel a breeze across my face instead of phasing through everything because I am nothing more but a mere code in a system. As much as I want to touch something again, I know it won't come true. I miss being able to build with my own two hands, I miss my family and my friends, I miss having a body in general, I miss being a hero… I miss being me…" Tony's voice had cracked a bit before his voice trailed off.

I was left speechless, stunned, and…really sad after hearing that. I never really thought about how Tony felt being in the internet. Tony must be miserable being in the internet; not being able to feel anything or do what you love, outliving your loved ones, and just….just not being human anymore. Honestly, I was thinking about how cool it would be to live on forever and know everything in the world, but I never stopped to think about how lonely and self-destructive it could be. To be nothing but a number floating around in empty space, having all the knowledge and power you could ever want, but not being able to feel anything at all? I would sacrifice my brain if it meant I could hug my parents…

Tony made a noise that sounded as, though, as if he clapped his hands together, and his voice was clear of any emotion, "But it was my choice to make. I only have myself to blame, so don't worry about how I feel. I did this to find my champion, and it seems you made yourself to be that one. Fate had nothing to do this opportunity. You earned your spot kid. Congratulations."

I smile and bow, "Thank you Tony, I won't let you down."

"It's not me who you shouldn't let down, it's the people you are going to save that you shouldn't let down." Tony said, sharing some of his wisdom. I will always remember that.

I head towards the elevator where the door opens, and I enter it. "Tony."

"Yeah?"

"I'm going to win the Sports Festival." I say with a voice full of confidence and my fist held up in front of me.

Tony chuckles a bit, "I know you will because no one is going in with more drive than you."

I giggle a little as the elevator closes and sends me back up. Once I reach the top, I leave the building and hop onto a train. Not a second later, I feel my phone vibrating as I reach for it and see I have a text message from both Mina and Midoriya.

_Mina: Hey_   _Hatsume, we just wanna check up on you._

_Midoriya: Yeah, we want to know if you are doing okay._

I smile gently and start to text them back.

_Me: Never better, in fact, I am doing fantastic!_

_Mina: Wow, you are tough._

_Midoriya: Glad to hear you are doing great!_

_Me: Yeah! Say, you guys want to hang out tomorrow? It's Saturday and I don't have anything happening for me._

_Mina: Sure! I'm free tomorrow!_

_Midoriya: I uh...I don't know…_

_Mina: Come on Midoriya! It will be fun!_

_Me: Please? I wanna tell you more about my babies!_

_Mina: Your babies?! Girl you got knocked up already?!_

_Me: What?_

_Midoriya: She didn't mean babies like that Mina! She refers to her inventions as her 'babies!'_

_Mina: Oooooooh. She never told me that. lol_

_Me: I still don't know what you mean, but whatever._

_Midoriya: Okay okay I'll come. Where and when then?_

_Me: 10am at the downtown mall! They have amazing chocolate sundaes there, and since it'll be Sunday, they'll have a special one!_

_Mina: Sounds like a plan! I'll be there!_

_Midoriya: So will I._

_Me: Yaaaaaaay! I need to do something real quick. I'll text you both later. Chow!_

_Mina: Did you seriously say chow? Who says that anymore?_

_Midoriya: It's actually spelled 'Chao', and I use it from time to time._

_Mina: Dorks. Anyways bye!_

_Midoriya: H-h-hey! That's mean...I think...um….bye!_


	7. Hang Out!

Black shirt. Check. Blue jeans. Check. Black gloves. Check. Googles. Check. Shoes. Check. Phone and wallet. Double check. Backpack full of babies to show Midoriya. Triple check! With everything checked on the list, I walk downstairs and head to the front door.

"Okay mommy, daddy, I'm leaving now!"

"Bye sweetie! Have fun!

"Bye princess, and don't walk into any alleyways!"

"I won't, I promise! Bye Sprocket!"

"Bark!"

I left through the door and began my way to the train station. Yesterday was fun and exhausting. Mostly thrilling, though. Version I was created, and I got to test it out against some of the best heroes and worst villains, though they were powered down duplicates. Though Version I has a nice set-up, I can already tell it is weak and outclassed if I were to take it out into the real world. But then again, I am not trying to be a hero yet. The main purpose of Version I is to help set me up in the Sports Festival. If I have to say who I am most worried about, it would have to be Midoriya, Bakugo, and Todoroki.

I get to the train station and check my phone. Nothing yet.

I feel the nanites on my goggles crawl a bit before some of them go down my arm and onto my phone. I received a text and it is from Tony. Sheesh, nanites are awesome little things aren't they?

_Tony: So, going on a date with a boy and a girl huh? Now would be the perfect time to figure out if you are straight, lesbian, or bisexual._

_Me: What is wrong with you?_

_Tony: I've been stuck in the internet for decades! Try figuring out something fun to do when you already have the codes and glitches to beat every game in here!_

_Me: Can't you create your own problems?_

_Tony: Yeah. I corrected every single one, including some that weren't even mine._

_Me: Sheesh. Must be hard knowing everything to every problem._

_Tony: It is. Anyways, expect Mina to be late._

_Me: Why?_

_Tony: She just woke up._

_Me: Are you spying on her?!_

_Tony: I wouldn't call it spying if I am able to see into every camera on the planet all at once unwillingly._

_Me: That is beyond disturbing and creepy._

_Tony: As for Midoriya, he is in panic mode. I think it just hit him that is going somewhere with friends, and those friends so happen to be girls. He is worried about how others will perceive him and if any guys will ask him how he managed to get two girls?_

_I hold back a laugh. That is just ridiculous to think about, but then again, Midoriya does come off as that type of person who cares about how others see him._

_Tony: Now this is hilarious. The kid is having an anxiety attack about what should he do or say if someone asks him if one of you is his girlfriend. Did this kid ever have friends?_

_If he didn't have any friends, then that is another thing we have in common. But over reacting? Our form is different. I overreact to things that interest me; it seems that Midoriya overreacts to…everything. Though Tony is right about one thing, the part where Midoriya is trying to figure out what to say people about those type of questions are pretty funny. My train arrives and I hop on it._

_Me: Hey Tony, I think today is just about relaxing with others. I'll ttyl._

_Tony: You'll what?_

_Me: Talk to you later._

_Tony: I know what it means, but I hate stupid things like that. Speak like how you talk to a person when communicating with me._

_Me: Whatever. I'll see you soon._

_Tony: Have fun, Pinky._

I love talking to Tony, but I also feel relief to be rid of him for a day. Like I say, he is a jackass and that gets really annoying, very fast. With that being said, I take a pair of earbuds, put them on, and start listening to music. Tony recommended me some artists from his time, so I guess I'll give one of them a try. AC/DC looks good, and Highway to Hell sounds like a good title to a song.

* * *

The ride took about thirty minutes, and within those thirty minutes, I think I found one of my favorite bands ever in AC/DC. I really love the songs Thunderstruck and Hells Bells. I didn't understand Big Balls, but for reason I could not stop listening to it. It was so bizzare and out of the ordinary that it was just to confusing to skip, or at least I think that is my reason. I will always be baffled by that song, but it doesn't change my feeling towards the band.

I arrived at my stop, got of the train, and walked towards the mall. The Kiyashi Ward Shopping mall in Musutafu is a popular outdoor mall in Japan, many tourists from around the world come to see it. It may look like your average mall, but no galleria has more hero merchandise than these ones, including rare and even timeless items such as a silver aged vintage rare All Might collectable or even WWII Captain America trading cards. It had everything, so maybe that's why when I approached the front entrance I was not surprised to see Midoriya looking at the mall like a child tasting ice cream for the first time.

"Hiya Midoriya!" I yell out to him from behind, making him jump in surprise. He had his hands in a weird angle as both were covering his body like if he was trying not to get hit.

Midoriya stopped his pose, but kept a flustered face on once he recognized it was me, "Oh! H-h-hi Hatsume." Midoriya responded. He was wearing a blue shirt that said 'All Might' on it, blue jeans, and red heavy-duty boots.

I smile at him and sit on the bench that is nearby, "When did you arrive?"

"Uhh…about ten minutes ago."

"Sheesh, aren't you an early bird?" I thought Tony told me he was having panic attacks at home, unless he lives near.

"Y-y-yeah. Though my house isn't far from here, so I just walked over here." I am correct.

I smile more before I take off my backpack, "Hey! While we wait for Mina, let me show you my babies!" I say to Midoriya as he sits next to me. "Need a lift in the air? Wanna know how flying feels without endangering yourself?! Introducing the Hover Soles!" I say as I pull out a pair of hover boots from my backpack.

Midoriya takes them and looks around all over them. "Wow! I remember these from your notebook! They look impressive!"

"Really?!" I ask him with a bigger smile, inching somewhat closer to him.

Midoriya beams in delight,"Yeah! They remind me of the pro hero Levitate! His feet act as hover boots for him!" Midoriya deduces as I then pull out another baby.

"Tired of buying batteries, or having some that just fuse out too quickly?! Well, allow me to 'cell' you this new battery called, 'Zest!' It never runs out of power, and I am surprised no one has ever bothered to invent such a thing!" I say to Midoriya as I am very proud of my baby. I pull out a D-Size battery and give it to him.

"Well…" Midoriya then looks at me with a thinking face, "If these batteries never run out, and if you sell them at a price where everyone can buy them, then the battery companies will run out of business and many people will lose their jobs. I don't think someone never had the idea nor the brains to invent it, it is just how much of a negative impact it would have on people's lives who need those jobs to support themselves and their families."

I open my mouth to protest, but close it. Midoriya is right, but he didn't have to shut down my baby completely like that. "Okay fine." I say, swiping my baby from him. "How about this one then?!" I pull out a pen. Wait...a pen? I look at it oddly.

"Hatsume. That's a pen." Midoriya tells me.

"I know it is! But...why is it in my invention backpack?" I scratch my head before I click the clicker on top of it, and suddenly a bright light emits from it as Midoriya and I yelp in surprise. The flash isn't directed at us, but it did flash an unlucky person. I was expecting to be chatized right now, but oddly enough I wasn't.

"Huh…why am I here again?" The random civilian said as they shrugged their shoulders and walked away.

Midoriya and I had looked at the person for a moment before a huge grin was placed over my face, "Oh my gosh! I created the Neuralyzer from the movie series, 'Men in Black!'" I laugh a little and smile sheepishly, "I guess I might have used it on myself that I forgot about it! Oopsies!" I say as Midoriya is looking at me funny.

"Hatsume, I think you should put that away before you make someone else forget what they are going to do." He tells me as I do so.

"Fiiiine." I put it away and put my backpack on the ground. "Gosh, what is taking that girl so long?" As I say that, both of our phones ring as we pull them out and look at it.

_Mina: I am so sorry I am running late! I woke up late! Don't let me slow you down; you two have fun! I'll text you when I am near!_

I put my phone away, "Well you heard the pink alien, lets go have some fun!" I jump from the bench, grab Midoriya by the wrist, and pull him up. I proceed to drag him inside the mall, "Man this is so exciting! I have never been able to do this before!"

"Hatsume could you...Wait, you never went out before?" Midoriya asks as we stop. I let go of his wrist and look back at him.

"Well yeah I have been outside before, and shopped at Wookie Mall with my parents. But never with friends." I say as I look down a little and grimace a little in pain, "I never had friends before. At school, everyone always looked down on me or bullied me because of my stupid Quirk. You and Mina are the first friends I ever made, and the only two who actually believe my Quirk is not ridiculous."

I feel Midoriya soften a bit as he looks down to make eye contact with me, "I understand. Believe me, I do. I've been bullied almost my whole life as well."

I look up at him in surprise and sadness, "You have… I'm sorry that happened to you."

Midoriya smiles a little, "Thanks, but it's okay really. When I was in school, people bullied me because I had no Quirk. My Quirk manifested only about a year ago, so ever since then, I was beaten down, harassed, and taunted because I had no Quirk to defend myself." Midoriya's expression faded, "My best friend at the time had manifested his Quirk in elementary school, and it was a powerful one. He was so caught up about his own strength, that when I was told I would never have a Quirk, I became his punching bag. He would always call me 'Deku' too because 'Deku' means useless." Midoriya tells me with a look that proves his words. It was a look only I would know because I have seen it many times whenever I look in a mirror. Midoriya then clenches his fists and shows off an expression of integrity and motivation, "But someone told me that 'Deku' does not have to mean useless, but that it can mean 'I can do it!' At the Sports Festival, I will do just that!"

I smile widely at his expression and raise up my fist, "Yeah! You can do it! Why?! Because people like us have the will to do it! It doesn't matter if we are at a disadvantage because a real hero-"

"Always overcome it!" Both Midoriya and I say as he lifts his fist into the air. We begin to laugh a little and smile at one another.

"I promise to make this the best first time experience for you, Hatsume!" Midoriya tells me whilst lowering his hand back down.

I can't help myself but hug the green haired cutie tightly. I catch him off guard with it as I feel his body suddenly jerk back, and - Wow he feels rough. Are those his muscles? They feel kinda nice. How do his biceps feel? How about his abs? I am very curious now. Should I just feel him around?

"Well aren't you two close. And I thought Uraraka was your best girl-friend Midoriya."

Both Midoriya and I look to see that Mina had arrived. She was sporting short shorts with a pink tank top that said 'Pinky' on it.

"Mina!" Midoriya says as I let go of Midoriya with a big smile.

"About time you show up!" I tell her as she smiles a bit embarrassedly.

"I overslept. I rushed to get here. I didn't even time to properly do my hair, but whatever." Mina tells me as the she walks up to us. "Wow, Midoriya, aren't you a player? Having two cute, attractive young women strolling around with you." Mina teases as Midoriya hides his redbeat face in his hands, "You must be a hotshot." Mina chuckles to herself.

"Mina please!" Midoriya practically begs as Mina slaps her hand on his back.

"I'm just messing you Midoriya!" Mina then places her hand on her chin, "Though I bet Kaminari and Mineta would be so jealous of you right now; but then again, one tries to hard, and the other is just a creep."

I raise an eyebrow, "Who are those two?"

Mina then looks at me, "Kaminari and Mineta are two classmates of ours. Kaminari is cool, but is pretty bad at flirting. Mineta is…Well, he is a pervert. If you see a short person with purple balls on his head, you best avoid him because he will most likely try to do something weird to you." Mina warns me.

I remember seeing a boy like that. He got slapped upside the head by a tall female with a bust like mine and very nice long, black hair. She seemed very agitated by him. I guess that is reason why she hit him. "Okay then, I will keep that in mind." I say to her as Midoriya finally removes his face from his hands, though a hint of red is still there. "Now, that we are all here, lets go."The three of us went inside with Midoriya being in the middle of us.

The Wookie mall is pretty big and usually packed. It has four floors, the second floor, just a food court itself, and the other three being a mix of every type of store imaginable.

"So!" Mina turned to us, "What do you guys wanna do first?"

Midori ya and I had looked at one another for a moment before we turned back to her. "We have no idea." I answered back for the both of us.

"Seriously?" Mina looked confused, "Well then I'll take the lead. To the arcade!" Mina said as she then dashed away.

"Hey! Wait up!" I say as I chase after her with Midoriya following us.

"We shouldn't be running guys! We could bump into people!"

* * *

We reach the arcade, and it is the same as I remember it. A load of people packed inside playing games and waiting for their turns. There are a variety such as coin games, claw machines, sports related games, skeeball, air hockey, and of course, arcade games. You can't have an arcade with those. We enter inside and immediately feel the competitive aura that is inside.

"Wow, this place is just as crowded as ever." Midoriya says as we walk through it, "I wonder if they still have some of the old All Might games or even older games such as X-Men." Midoriya mumbles as we find a coin machine. Each of us insert five dollars, giving us thirty coins each.

"Alright! What to play first?" Mina says as we begin to have our fun.

We played a lot of games. We all took turns at air hockey, and Midoriya swept all of us much to Mina's dismay. When we got to Dance, Dance Revolution though, Mina surpassed all of us, but they were surprised that I was able to keep up with Mina one on one. We went onto to play classics such as Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, Asteroid, and X-Men. Afterwards, we got more games and went onto to play newer games. These newer ones brought back the Arcade industry. Someone managed to convince the biggest gaming companies, Nintendo, Sony, and Xbox, to allow them to convert their older games into arcade games. With that being said, we played Super Smash Bros. Melee, Fusion Frenzy, Crash Bash, and a few others.

We were down to our last coins as we looked around for a moment. I was so full of adrenaline that I asked, "What is the hardest game here?!"

Mina looked at me, "There is a system here that is dedicated to the hardest levels in gaming history, though if I have to say what is the hardest level from that game, it would have to be Turbo Tunnel from the NES version of Battletoads." Really? I remember finding a cartridge version of that game in the junkyard. Funny enough, Turbo Tunnel was the only level I could get to work and my goodness did it piss me off so much. Don't ask me how, but I was able to beat it. As I was thinking of that, I heard Midoriya groan in frustration.

"I remember that level. No one can beat it, it is so hard!" Midoriya said as I cocked my head in his direction.

"Why is that?" I asked, pretending not know. I turn back to Mina who's expression matched Midoriya's.

"Because of the fricken level itself!" Mina yells out, "It's impossible to beat! I looked up online, and Battletoads is considered to be one of the, if not, the hardest game to beat! No one in this arcade has beaten that stage!"

"Is that so?" I question. Both of them nod, "Okay then." I clap my hands together, "Show me where it is." Both of them look stunned at me.

"Are you serious?!" Mina examines me for a moment, "After what I just told you about it possibly being the hardest level ever?!"

"Yeah." I simply say. "I want to play it."

Midoriya signs, "Alright then." Midoriya walks in the direction of where the game system is. In the center of the arcade rests the most difficult game in the mall, Battletoads. There is just one joystick and two buttons. I walk up to it before inserting my coin into the machine and booting up the game. The opening title is shown as I skip through it and begin to play. Since it is held to the original game, I am playing as Rash.

"Turbo Tunnel. This is the devil of the arcade." Mina says as a person looks in our direction.

"Hey! Someone is doing Turbo Tunnel!" Said stranger yelled out as a mixed reaction is heard and a few people start to surround me. Great. A crowd of people, now my nerves are definitely relaxed.

The level begins with me already at the speeders, ignoring the previous parts that involve the Scruzzs and 'Vaders. I get onto one of the speeders and begin the level. Since I have already played this and memorized this demonic level, I know what to do. The walls appear top, bottom, top, bottom, top, bottom, bottom, top, and top; jump over three barriers, and a quick top, bottom, top combo. Passed the first leg.

A few more people to check out what I am doing, some of them already saying I got lucky or beat their personal best record.

Leg 2 is little tricky but not tricky enough. Ride the ramp, jump the barrier, ride the ramp, jump two barriers, and ride the ramp. Three more walls appear in top, bottom, and top combo before I ride the ramp again. I jump two more barriers, but do not get fooled by the third one that is in midair. I ride under it and pass the second leg.

"Wow. I would already be dead because of instinct to jump." Mina tells me with an impressed tone.

Leg 3, again with the walls, top, bottom, top, and bottom formation. Now it repeats in a faster fashion, but I still pass it. I jump the three next walls, ride under a barrier and jump onto an air ramp. Now I have Rocket Rats dropping walls; bottom, top and bottom. I proceed to jump the air ramp, jump a barrier, and avoid a sneaky middle ramp.

Leg 4. Now even more people are around me, I think almost the whole arcade, heck even some employees are watching me play.

"Wow, she is doing it."

"Maybe she is that good?"

"Has she studied this?"

"She needs two more legs to win."

Leg 4 goes like this: Ride the three ramps, jump two barriers and ride down to the ramp at the bottom. Ride under the two air barriers and jump onto the air ramp. Three Rat Pods appear and move back and forth. I must stay to the top and jump over them, though I have to be careful of the fourth one. I jump that one too and ride the ramp. Now a giant exclamation point appears. That means I have to jump the gaps now. I do so five times as the crowd starts to chatter more and more with 'oohs' and 'awes.'

"She is leg five!" Someone yells out and now I have the whole arcades attention.

"Can that chick do it?!"

"No way man, that is the hardest level here! No one has beaten it!"

"But can she be the first?!"

All of this commotion over a game? I get excited over machines, but getting hyped about games is not my thing. I just find them fun unless they screw me over. I hate being screwed over.

Leg five, the killer leg. I weave back and forth quickly between all of the walls as the crowd starts to cheer on for me. I jump over one barrier, and then proceed to do the same thing with the final barrier. Rash proceeds to ride off the screen as the game ends.

"HOLY-"

"SHE DID IT!"

"THAT GIRL BEAT THE TURBO TUNNEL!"

"DUDE! I RECORDED THAT!"

"WHO IS SHE?!"

I feel my arms being gripped and suddenly I am facing Mina who had the biggest smile on her face, "HATSUME! YOU BEAT IT! HOLY CRAP YOU BEAT IT!"

I hear Midoriya behind me, "Hatsume! No one has beaten that level, yet you did it on your first try! How did you do that?!"

I smile awkwardly, but I have to admit, I am loving this attention. "I uhh...I just played. I didn't overthink either, and I kept myself relaxed and tried not to get too caught up in patterns." I say as I am approached by many people now who are bombarding me with questions. I laugh a little and fix my smile as I am now a gaming celebrity from what it seems.

* * *

It had taken about a thirty minutes before I finally was able to leave that arcade. The number of people that wanted pictures was astonishing, but hey, I am loving this attention. Some people asked for my digits or gave me their numbers. Someone on this planet is going to hate me because I gave them a false number and I am never calling any of those people. It's not because I hate them or anything, but I have no reason to keep in touch with them. Besides, you never know if one of those people could be secret villains or something. I left the store with free merch, though. I got a blue puppy plush and a lot of candy.

Mina and Midoriya were by my sides as we rode the escalator to the second floor.

"Hatsume, you may have just become the most popular gaming girl on the internet right now in Musutafu." Mina straight up tells me while eating some of my candy.

"I don't even play video games. I rarely do." I reply back as she grins at me.

"You should start playing then; you could profit from it if you go pro."

"Nah, gaming is not my passion."

Mina shrugs her shoulders, "Suit yourself."

I look towards Midoriya, "If any guys were to try to flirt with me, can you just tell them your my boyfriend so I don't have to deal with them?" I bluntly tell him as both him and Mina nearly choke on the candies they had in their mouths.

"W-w-w-w-w…..WHAT?!" Both of them yell out before Mina starts to laugh like crazy and Midoriya is frozen stiff and a shade of red on his face that I don't think has ever been discovered.

"Oh my god Hatsume! That is too funny!" Mina gasps out as she grabs her sides whilst receiving awkward looks from bypassers.

"H-H-H-Hatsume!" Midoriya stumbles, "I-I-I-I do-o-n't k-k-know if that is a good idea!" Midoriya says, "Besides….it feels…weird…."

I roll my eyes, "Fiiiiine. I'll just tell them that your mine then." I say as Mina laughs more and Midoriya signs while keeping the red face. "Anyways, I am hungry. Let's eat pizza or something, then we go to the ice cream parlor with that irresistible chocolate ice cream!" I drool a bit just thinking about it. You may not know this, but I love chocolate just as much as I love discovery. If you could rank the best discoveries humanity has ever found chocolate should be in the top ten.

We get to the second floor and go to this new fast-food joint that opened about two months ago. It is a famous food joint from America called Five Guys, and oh my god did I love their freakin' burgers. It's so juicy, and everything just blends together perfectly. The fries? I ordered a small and basically got a whole bag worth! A mountain of fries is a small?! With service like that, foods this delectable, and all at a good price? I see why America loves it.

"Mmmmmmmm!" I take another bite out of my burger and squeal in delight. "Oh twis 'ery wood!" I say with my mouth full as Midoriya and Mina look away a bit.

"Hatsume, swallow first. I don't want to see your food." Mina says as I swallow and giggle.

"Sorry." I take a sip of my soda, "But it is very good food, don't you two agree?"

"Oh yeah, this great." Midoriya replies while chowing down on fries, "Though this will set my workout back a bit. This is too many calories." Midoriya then smiles and pops a few fries into his mouth, "Worth it though!"

Mina signs and smiles lightly, "You're like Kirishima. Always working out or doing something else that requires work. I am surprised you agreed to come given how dedicated you are to your craft." Mina tells Midoriya, the latter blushing lightly.

"Yeah...well...I guess I was convinced that I should relax and have some fun. Too much work can affect me in negative ways, plus, I haven't hung out with friends in a long time." Midoriya signs a little, "At least ones that don't pick on me the whole day."

I place my hand on Midoriya's shoulder, "And we are glad you came. I think the two of us can learn something from this, being outcasts and all." I smile at Midoriya whilst he smiles back.

Mina smirks at us, "Awww don't you two look cute right now? Why don't you just kiss already?" I pull my hand away quickly as both Midoriya and I stare at Mina in shock. I start to laugh a little awkwardly while Midoriya completely hides his face in his shirt. Mina snickers at us, "And this is just precious."

I shake my head slightly, "Stop it. You're to give Midoriya a heart attack or something. Too much blood to his head is very bad."

Mina giggles a little, "Fine." She pats Midoriya on the back, "I'm sorry." She says with enthusiasm that sounds more playful than apologetic. Midoriya looks up slightly and mumbles something inaudible, but I just assumed he said it was okay.

Once we were done, we threw away our trash and traveled around the mall once more. Needless to say, we went around to every store possible in the mall. There were many things to see, and many items Mina put on her 'to-buy' list. Everytime we passed by something hero related, Midoriya would go full fanboy mode and thoroughly explain everything about the hero in question. Mina looked at him dumbfounded and somewhat annoyed most of the time, but I found it fascinating, especially when we each get into a conversation about a hero we both knew exceptional detail about like Air Jet.

Though what Mina and me found most astonishing, and somewhat disturbing, was his over the top extensive knowledge about All Might. Midoriya knew every little thing about All Might, and to be honest, I think I got creeped out when we ran into a store that was full of All Might gear and Midoriya went into a mumbling frenzy about everything in the store. Mina and I stared at him for a bit before we slowly moved a bit away from him, but not too much to seem like we were gonna ditch him.

After that little bit of drama, we saw it was getting late and decided to go to the ice cream parlor I was talking about.

The place was called, 'Double Scoop' because no matter what, you always get two scoops of ice cream unless you ask for a single scoop. I love this place so much, and the one that runs it is a nice lady with a Quirk called Octo-arms named Aya Hachi. She has eight tentacles, so she is able to do everything all at once. My family became regulars that we started to talk a lot with Hachi to a point where she was a family friend and even attended some of our family events.

"Hello Mei!" Hachi greeted me. She had her eight purple arms up and about in the air in a flash of happiness. Hachi was a slim older women as shown from some wrinkles on her face and under her eyes. She had blue eyes with thin red lips, her black hair done in a bun covered in a hairnet, and a soft and sweet smile on her face that was only rivaled by the sweets she sold.

"Hiya Mrs. Hachi!" I greet back as Mina and Midoriya walk in, causing the older lady to look surprised.

"Oh! Not with your parents this time?" She asks me.

"No ma'am! I'm with two new friends of mine!" I answer back gleefully as she smiles.

"That's very nice Mei. I am very happy to see you made some friends." Hachi looks at both of them, "Who are they then, sweetie?"

"The green haired one is Izuku Midoriya, and the pink alien is Mina Ashido." I introduce them as they bow slightly in respect.

"But you can just call me Mina, I prefer that." Mina says.

Hachi smiles at us all, "It is so wonderful to see Mei with friends, I have never seen her come with anyone else besides her parents." Hachi ponders a bit as one of her tentacles is on her chin. "You know what, just for this special occasion, order what you want. It is on the house."

I gasp, "Really?!" The three of us look excited as Hachi nods her head.

"Yes. I am serious, now come here and tell me what you three want."

The three of us run to the front and look around at our options. I know what I want, but if I can get anything…

"I want everything chocolate!" I yell out as they all look me. I think I have a crazed look on my face, but I don't care!

"How about I just give you a specialty? Maximum Cocoa?" I nod my head as she starts to make the dessert. Maximum cocoa is a special for chocolate lovers, one I have yet to try because my parents won't let me have it. It's a large waffle bowl that contains chocolate covered bananas with two brownies, two scoops of chocolate ice cream in the middle with oreo crumbs and chocolate chips covered with chocolate syrup! Overkill, maybe. Worth it? HELL YES!

I was given my monstrous desert with a spoon stuck in it whilst Midoriya and Mina stared at me like if I was insane, not that I am going to deny that. I sat at a nearby table and began to eat this godly item. Midoriya got a simple Cookies n' Cream milkshake while Mina had a banana split with strawberry ice cream, rainbow sprinkles, and a cherry. By the time they got their foods, I was already halfways done with my Maximum Cocoa.

"Sheesh Hatsume, you really love chocolate don't you?" Mina asks me as I swallow a brownie piece.

"Yup! If anyone gives me chocolate, I'll love them forever!" I reply back and take another bite out of the ice cream.

"We just ate a hefty meal, how do you have that much room your stomach?" Mina questions me. I shrug my shoulders and continue to eat.

"Uhhh...Hatsume." Midoriya speaks up.

"Yeah?" I look at him.

"You have ice cream on your face."

"Where?"

"...Everywhere."

I look at the napkin holder and see my reflection. My lips are covered in chocolate as well as my chin. I giggle as I see this and take a napkin to wipe my face off. "Thanks."

Midoriya drinks from his shake and nods as we take our time to finish our sweets.

* * *

"That was fun!" Mina yells out as we exit the mall. It was getting late for the sun was setting. The once blue sky was now darkened with an orange tint.

"Yeah it was! The most fun I had in a long while, though I could go on without people asking or giving me numbers." I add in while stretching my arm out a bit.

Midoriya chuckled a little, "Yeah, I can say the same Hatsume. Except without the paparazzi part, I would have a heart attack if that happened to me."

I eyed Midoriya, "If you want to be the number one hero, aren't you going to have to deal with that on a daily basis?"

Midoriya shivers a bit, "Well yeah but…" He signs in defeat.

Mina giggles a bit, "Don't worry about it, it's not like you are number one right now." Midoriya looks up and nods in agreement. Mina yawns a little, "We should do this again sometime, but after the Sports Festival."

Midoriya jerked up as if he realized something, "Oh Mina, how is training going for you? The Sports Festival is in a week, and I have seen you improved."

Mina gushed a bit, "Awww really?! You think so?!"

Midoriya smiled and gave her toothful smile, "Yup!"

Mina gave the same smile back, "Thanks! And if I have improved, then that must mean training is going great!" Mina paused and looked at me, "Are you going to be in the Sports Festival?"

I puff out my chest with pride, "You bet I am! There is no way I am missing that event!" Midoriya and Mina looked at me for a moment before looking at each other. "What?" I ask curiously.

"Well…how are you going to win? I mean no offense, but super vision isn't going cut it against other Quirks." Mina asked me with a cautious voice.

"I can use some of my babies to help me win. Not going to say what babies though~" I reply with a snicker.

Midoriya chuckles a little, "Well then I wish you the best of luck, and who knows, maybe we'll face off each other in the finals."

I look at both of them with a smirk, "If I face against one of you two, I'm not going down without a fight. Actually, scratch that, I'm not going down period."

Mina and Midoriya give me smirks back, "We'll be ready." Both of them say simultaneously.

Soon, we make it to the train station and ride home. Mina was the first to get off, then Midoriya, and then me. The day ended with me talking to my parents about my day, what Octavia did for us, the paparazzi I attracted (Daddy was proud that I didn't accept any boys numbers while Mom was laughing at that.), and that I was going to be in the Sports Festival so they should watch me win it. They had looks of concern, but ultimately showed me their support. Once that was over, I took a shower and plopped onto my bed to go to sleep.

The Sports Festival is near, and I am damn well ready to win it. Time to show the world that Mei Hatsume can be a hero too, and that the selection of who goes into the hero course or not is flawed. I go to sleep though with one question in mind. When I do win, will they ask for me to be part of the hero course? Or will they continue to look down on me?

That question will be answered….in the next few chapters.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time on Iron Maiden…
> 
> Hatsume: Yahoo! I am so ready to win this tournament, but these challenges are crazy, though!
> 
> Midoriya: Hatsume! The tests look very hard and even I am having trouble getting around! How are you fairing?!
> 
> Hatsume: I'm doing great, but I haven't begun to play!
> 
> Midoriya: What does that mean? Are you holding back?!
> 
> Hatsume: Maybe!
> 
> Midoriya and Hatsume: Sports Festival Part 1! Hatsume meets Bakugo!


	8. Longshot: Part 1

_At long last, the day has finally arrived. The day where everyone in U.A gets to show what they are made of. The day where millions upon millions of fans in Japan and all of the world watch either live in the arena or at home on their TVs. It is an event unlike any other in Japan, and quite possibly on Earth. The U.A Sports Festival. Who knew a spectacle about hero prospects battling one another for supremacy among their classes would bring such demand from the populace to air it on a yearly basis?_

_Everyone who is participating wants to win it. To have their name out there and known amongst all Pro Heroes to take notice of them and select them as interns. In the U.A Sports Festival, your future as a pro hero begins here._

_For me though, it is different._

_Yes, I feel the same way as everyone else, but I have another reason to win. I don't just want to be noticed by everyone; I want to be taken seriously. Every day I was surrounded by people who acted high and mighty because of their greater Quirks while I was left behind to rot in a pit of misery and remain unknown across the masses. I have witnessed and personally experience those people who use their Quirks will ill intentions, and they have the audacity to crown themselves as future heroes without making an effort to act like one? Fate decided to cast me aside with a Quirk that only amplified my vision while some other muck was able to transform steel into anything he wanted, and all he did was use it to ditch school cause those steel bars could not hold him._

_When I first announced that I was going to apply to U.A and take their Entrance Exam, I was laughed out of the classroom. When I showed up the next day, that same metal bending quirk user tried to frighten me out of attending by telling me I did not belong with 'the big dogs.' That I was just too small to keep up with superior people like him. That was the last time I ever saw him._

_Skip ahead to the entrance exam and I surpassed expectations by amounting up to 39 points, 30 in bots destroyed and 9 in rescue points and I learned later on that I was only 3 points short of reaching the top twelve. I ranked 13th overall. When I discovered that, I thought maybe I would finally be seen as significant. I was met with another roadblock._

_I was accepted into U.A, but not inducted into the Hero Course; instead, I was placed in support. I showed exactly what I was capable of, despite having a weaker Quirk. I had the heart and brain power to surpass many other students to rank 13th for the best entrance exam scores, yet I was not chosen for one reason. Image. I was not the image of what heroes of today look like._

_Heroes of today have strong Quirks that do not require the aid of support items, they only need their Quirks. To see someone fully depend on technology was not unheard of, but it was not popular either. A plasma pistol is fascinating, but to see someone conduct plasma and use it as a weapon was a sight to see because of two differences. One was built, so there can be an unlimited supply of it, thus rendering it a common sight and nothing special. One was able to take plasma from their very body, manipulate it in various ways, and wield it like a sword. Not only that, but the biggest reason is glamour. A plasma pistol has designs and can be upgraded to have special mods, but that's it. A plasma Quirk? You can do whatever you want with it and keep it original, the attention never runs out as long as you can make it a sight worth seeing._

_I am not special nor glamorous enough to be in the hero course according to social norms. My eyes shift slightly whenever I use my quirk which is not fabulous, and my babies can be reproduced by any other company and made better in an instant. My heart and intelligence do not matter if I can not be a celebrity show off. That logic alone drives me over the edge._

_A bully can be praised and be paid to bully others simply because they had the 'fancier' Quirk, while people like me who actually care about others and are willing to do anything to protect those in need are told to buzz off and 'think realistically.' Why can't an underdog be a hero? Why can't a person with a feeble Quirk save the day? Why are people like me always told we can never do what they can when we can do it? I never understood society, and I still don't. Maybe one day, it can all change, and we as a civilization can look back and laugh about it, but until that day comes, a repressed community must endure hardships set by social standards._

_My original intention was to get my name known, but after thinking about it, I changed my goal. I don't just want to win; I don't just want to get myself noticed, and I certainly don't just want to be praised for my resilience. No. I want to win to show everyone that an underdog can topple those 'Titans.' That a person with a frail Quirk is capable of doing the same actions as All Might and the rest of the Pro Hero community. But most importantly, I want to show everyone that people like me can do what they can, that we are able to make it to the big leagues, that we can hang with the big dogs, and that we are competent enough to outrank those with Quirks that are held to a higher standard._

_The title of this chapter is called, "Longshot." I didn't name it that for melodramatic reasons. I named it 'longshot' because in order to make people see what I see, it really is going to take a longshot._

* * *

Sunday was fun. I was able to relax and put myself at ease, but now it was back to business. The Sports Festival is here.

I was at home getting myself ready for the big day. I already had breakfast that was identical to an IHOP Breakfast Sampler, brushed my teeth, and other preparations. I made sure to sign a waiver and an agreement with the U.A Staff to allow me to use my babies, and that I will not sue the school if my babies malfunction in anyway. Also, if another student is severely hurt by one of my babies, I will not be punished nor pursued by any legal actions as long as the injuries are non-fatal and many other complicated nonsense.

"You sure you are ready, sweetie?" My mom asked me with an excited, yet frightened tone.

"We just want to make sure, Mei, after all, you would not want to be disqualified or left vulnerable." My father chimes in.

I lift my backpack onto my shoulders and give them a smile with a nod. "Yes I am. I made sure to have everything I need ready since last week, and I made sure to check again every day." I replied.

"That's a true case of over checking if I ever heard of one." My father chuckled as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Your mother and I can not express how proud we are of you."

"Nor how terrified by who's talking about that?" My mother looked semi-joked, but she truly was scared and I can understand. I am walking into the Sports Festival with people with more remarkable Quirks than mine, and most of them can cause permanent damage to me if they are not careful enough.

I walk to my mother and hug her tightly, "Relax mommy, I'll be okay. I promise." I say to her.

My mother stumbles with her words a bit before sighing and hugging me back, "You better keep that promise then."

I feel my father embrace us both as well, "She's a big kid, Yoru. She'll be okay." My father tried to relax my mother's nerves, and even said her first name.

"I know, Bijutsu, I know. But as her mother, I worry for her constantly." I can feel my mother's face frowning, "Especially since she has a knack for getting herself in constant danger." I laugh meekly in response. My mother then plants a kiss on my cheek, "But even then my baby still comes out okay, and stronger too." We all break the hug. "We'll all be cheering you on!" My mother proudly said.

I nodded with affirmation, "I will not let you two down! I love you mommy and daddy! Bye!" I said as they said their 'byes' and wished me luck. I exited the house and headed towards the train station. As I am walking, I feel some of the nanites enter my earlobe, which is a very uncomfortable feeling.

" _So Pinky Dinky Doo, how are you feeling?"_  Tony asks as he makes his presence known.

"Like Midoriya everytime I hug him." I reply with some snark and hold a finger to my ear.

" _What did he ever do to you to earn that disrespect?"_

"He shut down my infinite battery baby that's what!" I say somewhat loudly, attracting some of the locals to look my way.

I hear him sign and can imagine him rolling his eyes, " _I shut it down too. Trust me, it really isn't that impressive nor a great idea. It will kill the market."_

I grumble and fume slightly, "I hate you both."

" _You love me."_

"Love is a strong word, and that implies if I actually care for you." I reply with humorous intentions.

" _Oh okay. I'll just take back the suit and pretend I never met you."_  Tony threatens me.

"Awwww, did I hurt your feelings?" I smugly say.

" _No, I just hate children who feel entitled because I gave something to make them feel more valuable than they actually are."_

"Ouch. That stings."

" _Whose feelings are hurt now?"_

"Ha. Ha. Ha."

I let out a small genuine laugh and smile slightly as I head into the train station, "But in all seriousness, I am feeling nervous but also eager. I can not wait to see what the Sports Festival has in store nor to show off what my babies can do."

" _And leave out Version I till the end, unless you absolutely need it then bust it beforehand."_  Tony reminds me. We agreed that I would only use Version I until I get to the tournament, or if I am having an emergency, then I will use it on the spot.

"Right, right, I know." I take in a deep breath before the train arrives, "I'll talk to you soon."

" _Okay."_  I get on the train and make my way to the school.

* * *

Once I reach the school, I head towards the stadium. Instead of wasting valuable time and doing attendance at the school, Power Loader and the rest of the teachers told all of us to turn in at the stadium back entrance. From there, we are quickly debriefed about the inventions we brought and turn in our legal slips. Afterwards, we were told to wait in our designated room until we called out.

Everyone in the class spent time looking over their gadgets and socializing with one another, but not me. I was in a corner going over all of my strategies, and doing maintenance on my babies. I need not worried about Version because Tony had it go through his own preservation before he gave it to me. The suit was able to fold up into a small piece of metal, so I had it stashed inside of a pocket.

It felt like hours before we were finally told to put our gadgets and head towards the entrance. I strapped on my newly modified hover soles and attach on my new wire arrows. Each got a great upgrade thanks to Tony. I proceed to grab my headgear and put it on, and place the goggles over my eyes.

"Say hello to my little babies, U.A." I mumble to myself before I head out.

* * *

I was standing in front of the tunnel with my classmates behind me, and my god was I shaking. Not out of fear, but by the vibration of roars and cheers from the audience in attendance. I grinned in delight and with confidence. Everyone is gonna put on a show, but I plan on stealing it with my babies and my 'secret weapon.'

"The U.A Sports Festival! The huge battle where fledgling heroes sharpen their swords once a year!" So, they got Present Mic to do commentary? Hopefully, he does well because he could not muster a single reply when he was presenting at the Entrance Exam. "And folks here they are! The new stars who miraculously survived a villain attack with their hearts of steel, Class 1-A!"

That's right. Three weeks ago before I met Midoriya and Mina, their class was at the USJ and were attacked by villains that invaded the building. I heard their teacher, Pro Hero: Eraserhead, and one unnamed student suffered gruesome injuries, but everyone was ultimately saved by the Number One Hero: All Might.

It was a miracle that the unknown student was even able to compete today, but I know they wouldn't miss this opportunity for the world.

They had captured all the villains, including a giant purple monster with a sharp beak. You could even see its brain too. It was like some sort of experiment, and it did frighten me a bit when I saw it on the news.

I saw Class 1-A heading out onto the scene, and I was able to easily identify Midoriya and Mina. Many looked so calm and collected, and a few, like Midoriya, seemed to shrink at the attention. Still though, they have the best experience out of all everyone here from surviving an invasion.

Once that was out of the way, the rest of us were introduced. I couldn't help but smile at the attention.

Once we all gathered at the center, a stage was set where the Rated-R Hero: Midnight appeared on stage in front of a microphone. Midnight was a curvaceous woman with long black hair and blue eyes. She wore a black breastless leotard over a white jumpsuit, which really showed off every part of her body, wore a black thigh high stockings and black knee-boots. On her wrists were half of a handcuff on each of them, and a utility belt around her waist, and finally, she had a red domino mask and a flogger type whip. She was basically a walking mistress and seductress, and every guy in my class was looking at her with lust.

I simply rolled my eyes but heard Tony wolf whistled in my ear, " _She looks more voluptuous in person."_

"Shut up." I whisper.

Midnight whipped her flogger with aggression and yelled out, "Quiet everyone," into the microphone as everyone silenced themselves, "Representing the students of Class 1-A is Katsuki Bakugo!"

Bakugo? The one with the explosions?

I looked forward and saw a student with short ash blonde hair walk towards the stadium with his hands in his pockets. The aura around him was powerful. It was full of pride, and just by looking at him you can tell he was a threat to anyone who came across his path. He looks as dangerous as Tony described him to be. "If he is representing Class 1-A, then that means he must have scored first on the Entrance Exam," I make a mental note of that as he walks up to the microphone.

"I would like to acknowledge…" Bakugo begins before taking a dramatic pause, "That I am going to win."

What followed next was a roar of boos and jeers from everyone in the stadium, including all of those around him. I held myself back from joining those people because that was just… arrogant of him! He already declared himself the victor!

" _And I thought I had an ego."_ Tony snickered.

Everyone was then brought back to focus when Midnight spoke, "Now! Let's get started right away!" In an instant, all the boo's turned into cheers, "Many students drink their tears here, but that is expected! Now, let's see what the first game will be!" A giant screen appears behind Midnight.

" _Like I said, every year the games change. I am curious to how you handle the pressure here."_ As Tony finished speaking, the screen stopped in place and the first game was shown. Obstacle Race.

"Well I am glad for my stamina training now." I chuckle a bit. If this was past me before Gunhead's Dojo, I would be gasping for air like it was my first time breathing.

Midnight whipped her flog to grab our attention, "All 11 classes will participate all at once! The course is on the outside of the stadium, which is about four kilometers long! Freedom is a word the school believes in! As long as you stay on the course, do as you please!" Midnight then pointed to a large red door, obviously already built beforehand with three green lights clearly on. "Take your places everyone!"

All of us gathered by the entrance and waited for the signal. I waited in the back to get a better view of the situation. "Hmmm…" I began to analyze the diameter of the doorway and took note of everyone here.

" _No doubt you see the problem too?"_  Tony tells me.

"Of course. It's too small. I won't be able to get through if I charge in headfirst. Which means…" I look up and see that two of the three green dots are dimmed. "I have to get above them." The last green light went out.

"Start!"

Everyone began to charge straight through the middle, just as predicted. I activate my hover soles. "Thanks for the help, now I can fly higher than usual." I begin to gain distance from the ground until I am several feet over everyone. I tilt my body forward slightly and begin to fly over everyone's head. As I am flying over everyone, I see ice suddenly form and freeze many in place.

"Todoroki no doubt." I remember the notes about him having an ice Quirk, and considering the situation at hand, this would the perfect time to think strategically. It is a few seconds later I witness four others appear from the ice. A girl that is creating a pole from her hands, most likely Yaoyorozu, a boy with a laser on his belly, Kirishima, and Bakugo.

"Don't think you'll get away!" Bakugo roared.

I land next to Kirishima and run with him with a smile, "Hey Kirishima!"

Kirishima looks my way and smiles back, "Hey Hatsume! How'd you get free back there?!"

"A secret I'll explain later!" I tease him a little as Bakugo snares and begins to charge faster by using his explosives as propellers, leaving me and Kirishima behind in the dust.

"Is he always like that?" I ask Kirishima.

Kirishima sweat drops and smiles innocently, "Yeah. He is very competitive."

"And egotistical." I add in. I look behind me and see many others have gotten out freely. A boy with a tail is using his tail as leverage to avoid slipping on the ice; Mina is using her acid from her feet to get around but is having trouble still, and a few others like Midoriya are going fast but also carefully. "Aren't I lucky?" I say as I suddenly see a boy with purple balls on his head attempt to grab me.

"YOU'RE MINE!" He yells at me with a crazed look as he holds two purple balls in each of his hands.

"Oh. You're him." This must be Mineta, the creepy guy Mina told me about. I simply move out of the way, and he falls towards the floor, but not flat on his face. The balls keep him up as they seemed to cushion his fall.

"DAMN IT! I WAS SO CLOSE TO ATTACHING MYSELF TO HER!" He yells out with clear frustrations.

" _He's more than just a creep from it seems. A perverted boy."_ Tony chimes in.

"Like you?"

" _Na ah ah ah ah! I am not perverted! I don't latch onto women without consent! Never did, even in my early non 'Iron Man' years. And I was drunk or high, or both most of the time."_ Tony defends himself poorly.

"That doesn't make you sound any better."

" _I wasn't asking you- WATCH YOUR THREE AND SIX!"_

I suddenly move backwards as Mineta again tried to leach onto me, but before he could say anything, a giant robot hand suddenly appeared and knocked him away. I back up a bit and look up. "Oh." I simply say as three giant robots appear before us, all of them being different models. "The zero point robots from the Entrance Exam." I mumble to myself.

" _I've built bigger, and better."_ Tony decides to let his ego show right now.

Everyone is standing still now, afraid to move as we are all cornered by these massive hunks of metal.

"Obstacles suddenly appear! Starting with the first barrier! Robo Inferno!" Present Mic yells out as more of the robots start to appear.

I descend onto the ground and land next to Midoriya. "So…..any ideas?"

"Nope." Midoriya simply says as both of us get into defensive positions. I look ahead and see that Todoroki is standing alone in front of everyone. "What is he doing?" I ask myself.

"I don't know, but he could get hurt if he doesn't move!" Midoriya yells out as he looks ready to run, but stops himself as Todoroki suddenly forms a massive ice attack and completely covers one of the robots in ice.

Everyone, including myself, are left in awe of Todoroki's absurd power. "We can go through now!" I yell out and begin to run.

" _WAIT!"_ Tony yells out as I do so, " _He left them unbalanced! They're collapsing!"_  Tony informs, and not a second later, the giant robot begins to tumble forward towards us.

I stand still since I am at a safe distance, but see Kirishima not going to make the safety distance, "Kirishima!" I cry out and am about to summon Iron Maiden to save him, but Kirishima suddenly hardens up and flashes me a smile.

"I'll be okay!" He simply says as the robot crushes him. A massive gust of wind blows in my face, but since I am wearing my goggles, I do not need to cover my eyes. Instead, I run towards the fallen robot.

"Hatsume!" Midoriya yells out as I feel his hand barely miss my shoulder.

Somehow, I avoid every other robot that is in front of me and quickly make my way through the crowd and towards my crushed friend.

"Holy…! Who's that girl?! She just ran past the Robot Inferno with no problem!" Present Mic refers to me as I get past all of them.

"Kirishima!" I yell out and approach the robot. "Tony, I need the suit! I need to-"

" _No. He's okay. Watch."_ Tony assures me. And soon enough, Kirishima rips through the robots chest like an alien from the movie 'Alien' with a roar.

"You're alive!" I say happily and with relief.

"Like I'd die!" Kirishima exclaims loudly as he has a look of disdain now, "That bastard Todoroki! He timed it perfectly so they would fall once he froze them solid! If it had been anyone else, they could have been killed!" Kirishima says as he then looks to me. "I'd told you I be okay!"

I chuckle a little and activate my propellers, "Yeah and I am very happy, but…SEE YA!" I zoom off as he I him yell at me in distance, but with a laugh as well.

" _You know, you could have flown over the smaller robots instead of dodging their attacks."_  Tony says, " _But I will admit that it was impressive on how you avoided getting hit by any of them."_

"...I forgot in hindsight." I give out a weak excuse as I somehow catch up to Todoroki. I fly next to him, "Hey, you crushed someone." I bluntly tell him to see his reaction.

"Kirishima and judging by your none terrified expression, he is fine." Todoroki answers plainly without batting me an eye.

"That confident huh? Well, I don't blame you. You did get through with recommendations."

"Stop talking."

I roll my eyes, "Just trying to make small talk."

" _Stop."_

I stop in place. In front of me is a massive chasm that has are all connected by ropes, most likely military grade ropes. "I can always fly over, but I want to see my wire arrow can do too." I look to where Todoroki would have been, but see him already getting across the chasm with ease by using his ice to slide across the ropes. "Showoff." I hear running behind me and turn around to see Mina with two other girls running with her; a brunette and one with extremely long green hair that is styled like a bow.

"Hey, Hatsume!" Mina says happily as I hold out my hand.

"Stop unless you wanna fall to your death!" I warn them as all three of them begin to slow down drastically. Mina is unable to stop in time as she runs into me. Thinking quickly, I push her away from me to keep her from falling, but that only makes me go backwards. I am about to fall into the chasm, but am saved by green haired girl as she uses her tongue to wrap it around my waist and pull me back up.

"Oh wow! Thanks!" I smile happily.

"Kero." She simply says.

 _"That's Tsuyu Asui. The other one is Ochaco Uraraka."_ Tony updates me.

"When did they build this stage?!" Uraraka questions as she walks towards the edge. Asui walks forward as we all look at her, "Tsu?" Uraraka asks. Asui simply jumps high into the sky and lands on the rope without a problem. She then starts to crawl effortlessly up the rope.

"Frog Quirk. Fascinating." I say as Mina approaches me.

"Are you okay?" Mina asks with concern.

"Oh I am fine! Thank the frog girl she saved me!" I say to her before looking back at the chasm, "I'd love to stay and chat, but I gotta go!" I say as I get prepared to get across the chasm.

"Wait a minute! You can bring your babies?!" Mina asks me as she sees my babies on me.

"Babies?" Uraraka asked with confusion as she looks at me, "Why do you get to bring those items?"

I look towards Uraraka, "I am in the support class! It is only fair I get to be able to use my babies to help since you have a better Quirk than mine! Whatever that Quirk may be!" I say as one of my wire arrows fire off into the distance and latches itself into a rock, "Bye bye now! I'll see you in the next round, Mina!" I say and swing away before another wire arrow fires and latches itself onto another rock, and now I am swinging around like Spider-Man.

"Hatsume, Hatsume, does whatever a Hatsume does! Can I spin a web? No, I can't! Cause I, ain't a spider! Look out! Here comes Mei Hatsume!" I sing in tune with the old Spider-Man song.

" _Really?"_  Tony says with a dead tone.

"Yes!"

It's not long before I reach the other side of the chasm. Once I am on the other side, I see Asui has landed next to me. "Hey, thanks again for the save." I wave slightly to her.

"No need to thank me, just looking out for others." Asui says as she gives me a small wave back.

"Good luck!"

"You too. Kero."

Both of us begin to run/float towards the last obstacle. As we are making our way to the ending, Present Mic speaks once more, "The last obstacle! You better watch your feet because things will explode if you hear a click because that would mean you stepped on a mine! Though they are not lethal, that doesn't mean you will not be flying off like Team Rocket!"

"Landmines huh? No problem." I say as Asui stops in her tracks to look over the situation while I fly over them. In front of me, I see Todoroki and Bakugo battling it out as they are racing over the landmines too. "Seriously?"

" _Go greet them."_

"I should." I fly towards me, "Heyyyy if you two don't mind, I'll just take first place!" I say to them and put a little distance between them and me.

"Why you! No, you don't!" Bakugo barks at me as he sends an explosive my way, but misses as I move to the side.

At the same time, Todoroki throws an ice shield at me, but I fly higher to avoid it, "Not happening!" I say as I fly faster towards the end.

"Grrrrrr! Get back here you extra!" Bakugo roars as he then speeds up to me with his explosions. The three of us stop when we hear a massive explosion behind us. We all look back and see a giant cloud of pink smoke in the back area.

"HOW MUCH JUICE WAS THAT ONE PACKING?! WHY IS IT SO BIG?!" Present Mic yells into his microphone.

" _Oh look, they pulled off a you. Unnecessary massive explosives."_  Tony taunts my incredible knack for causing huge explosions.

"Oh screw you, Tony!" I silently yell as I keep my eyes on the explosion. I see someone high in the sky. I active my Quirk to get a better look at the person and I am left stunned to see who it is, "Midoriya?!"

Midoriya is riding on a flimsy piece of metal as he launches over all three of us.

" _Hey if you are not too busy dawdling, then start running!"_  Tony yells as I resume flying over the mines.

"Deku! Don't get in front of me!" Bakugo roars as he suddenly passes by me in an instant.

" _Wait, what did he say?"_  I think to myself for a moment, " _Did he say…'Deku?'"_ I push the thoughts away as I see Todoroki using his ice to slide under me. All of us are now chasing Midoriya. I see that Midoriya is quickly losing speed as Bakugo and Todoroki are next to him side by side. What I witness next will forever leave a lasting impression on my mind.

Midoriya is about to lose his grip on the sheet of metal, and nearing towards the ground. Midoriya, in a desperate attempt to stay on top, quickly grabs a wire from the metal sheet, flips himself forward, and slams it on the ground. Underneath it, a landmine explodes and launches Midoriya forward while throwing off Bakugo and Todoroki for a split second.

That is all I needed to zip past the two and try my best to catch up to Midoriya.

"I can not believe it! Midoriya cleared the minefield in an instant! He was out of the picture the whole time, and he has taken first place! Can he pull off a major comeback and win as number one?!"

I look back and see that Todoroki and Bakugo recovered quickly and are tailing us. I look ahead and push my babies more as I am catching up to Midoriya. I was not quick enough, though, because by the time I caught up to Midoriya, he already entered the stadium, making him the winner.

"IN A STUNNING TWIST OF FATE, IZUKU MIDORIYA FROM CLASS 1-A HAS WON!" Present Mic screams out as a roar of cheers is heard for Izuku's show stealing victory.

Midoriya soon slows down and stops as flower petals rain down from above. I stop myself as well and land on the ground. I pull up my goggles and run towards him, "Midoriya!" I call to him as he looks towards me with a smile.

"Hatsume!" Midoriya seems more comfortable by my presence now.

I stop in front of him and raise my fists to my chest, "That was spectacular, amazing, and just… just marvelous!" I give him praise as he blushes and hides himself, "How did you do that?!" I ask him excitedly and begin to jump in place as my energy levels begin to shoot up. I grab his hands in the process and- Oh my gosh they are so soft. So smooth yet rough. And....why do I suddenly not want to let go?

"Deku!"

I let go of Midoriya's hands, and we look to see that Uraraka was coming towards us. "Deku! First place! You won first place in such a jaw-dropping fashion!" Uraraka says as Midoriya again covers his face in embarrassment.

"He is so cute." I say aloud, and luckily, neither of them hear me.

" _Is he now?"_  Tony says with some teasing in his voice, " _And I thought you said you didn't see him in that light?"_

I flush lightly for a second, but then remember what Uraraka just said, "Hold on…" I walk towards Midoriya as Uraraka has finished praising him, "Did she just call you, 'Deku?'" I ask him as they look towards me.

Uraraka answers first, "Oh! I call him Deku in a nice way because it reminds me of similar word that means 'I can do it!'" Uraraka explains to me as Deku nods in approval.

I then point to Bakugo, "Because he also called you 'Deku' as well."

Uraraka frowned slightly, "That is Bakugo; I'm sure you know that already. He's a jerk to Midoriya."

I look between Bakugo and Midoriya for a few moments before my mind clicks, "That's your old friend, isn't he Midoriya?" I say and turn to them to be greeted by two stunned faces.

Midoriya signs and nods his head sadly, "Yes. Kacchan is the friend I told you about." Midoriya confirms to me.

I look back at Bakugo and see him seething in anger.  _"I can read his lips. He's basically telling off Midoriya for beating him, again."_  Tony informs me. Again? Midoriya has defeated him before? When was that? I narrow my eyes a bit and stay focused on Bakugo until the race is over.

"The obstacle race is over!" Midnight announced as we were gathered again at center stage with her on top of the stage. "Let's take a look at the results!"

* * *

The first 42 to arrive are shown on a big screen as we were allowed to advance while everyone else was disqualified. Everyone from the Class 1-A and 1-B made it, which meant 40 slots were already taken up. The last remaining two spots were filled by another student from General Studies and me.

"Though it is unfortunate that not all of you can make it, do not fret, though! We have prepared other various ways for you all shine and show off your abilities!" Midnight explains to those who did not make the cut, "The real competition begins next for the rest of you! The press cavalry'll be all over it! Now, bring your 'A' game!"

The giant screen reappears and spins again, "I already know what the game is, and I said it too!" The screen stops on the second game, Cavalry Battle.

"Oh, a cavalry battle?" I feel a bit uneasy, but not enough to destroy my confidence.

"Let me explain." Midnight points to the screen, which shows a funny picture of Thirteen and Present Mic holding up All Might on their shoulders, "It is the same as a regular cavalry battle. You may choose from two to four people on your team, but there is one noticeable difference." Midnight gives us a look that I assume is seductive, "Everyone has a point value based on their rankings in the obstacle race."

"So everyone has a different value depending on the team they form." Uraraka says.

Mina makes fingers guns at Uraraka, "You're right!"

Midnight whips her flogger aggressively in the air and looks at the two girls in frustration, "Didn't they teach you manners about interrupting people when they are talking in grade school?!" Mina and Uraraka shrink a bit as I lightly smirk at the comical events.

"As I was saying," Midnight started again, "Everyone has a point value and each team will make up a different score, as you may have figured out. Everyone has a base point of 5, starting from place 42. But if you are ranked higher, you have 5 extra points added to your score. So 41 has ten points; 40 has fifteen points, you get the memo." Midnight says.

I look at my score and that I have 205 points, "I've never felt valuable before in my life." I jokily say.

" _That's very depressing."_

"I was joking…" I whisper.

I look above me and see that Midoriya has a question mark where his score would be. "Huh? Where is Midoriya's score?" I ask, confused.

"As some of you may see, first place has a mystery score," Midnight says with a grin, "That's because he is the exception. First place has a score of…ten million!"

The entire stadium goes silent that you can hear a pin drop. I look towards Midoriya as well as the other 40 students. "Oh? Ten Million huh? So that means if you take his team down…"

Everyone in usion then said, "Then you can stand on top no matter where you are!"

" _Okay that was terrifying. How did all of you say the same thoughts?"_ Tony asks the million dollar question, but never gets an answer.

"It is survival of the fittest, wouldn't you say?" Midnight says before she whips her flogger once more to get us to focus on her, "Now, there are rules you must obey! First off, the time limit is fifteen minutes. Each team is worth the combined total of their points, and you the rider will wear the headband on their head or neck with that number on it! However, under no circumstances may you hide or place those bands elsewhere! The objective is to stay on top, so you may steal other headbands to add more points to your team, but the more you add to yourself, the harder it will be to manage them! Most importantly, though, if your team falls over or loses their band, you are not out! You can still compete until time is over!" Midnight elaborates as some commotion is starting up.

"Hm. There are a number of ways to win, but relying on a solid defense the whole way will not work if you are lacking points. So, there must be a great mix of offense and defense then." I begin to look around and check out of the people I recognize.

"Like the obstacle race, Quirks are allowed to be utilized!" Midnight states. "However! If you on purposely make a group fall, I'll throw you out with a red card!"

 _"Oh great. So I'll just zoom in on someone's band to…"_  I think to myself for a moment,  _"And see who is worth targeting…"_  Huh. That's new. My Quirk is useful for something right now.

The giant screen then shows a timer with 15 minutes on it, "You have fifteen minutes to get a team! Start!"

Not a second later, everyone is scrambling to build a team. I stand still as many people rush past me, not even batting me an eye.

"Everyone is going for people they know. Don't matter what rank you are it seems." I say with slight disappointment.

" _Everyone wants Midoriya's band, so they are going for who they already know, which is a stupid strategy if you ask me. You don't need to win the game. You just need to qualify for the next round."_  Tony is right about that. " _What you should be doing is seeing who you are most compatible with, and who has the better Quirk. Luckily for you, that is easy considering you are able to be with anyone given your *ahem* 'babies' will provide much needed support for anyone. Whether if you are the rider or carrier, you still provide a great advantage for the team."_

I ponder in my thoughts for a bit. I know a few of Class 1-A's and 1-B's quirks because I studied them, but as I look around, most of them already have a team going for them or are not strong enough to be a great attacker or defense on their own.

"Hatsume!"

I snap out of my thoughts and see Mina running towards me, "Say, we can use her on the team?"

"We?" I say and look behind her to see Bakugo walking towards me.

"Who the hell is she?!" Bakugo asks angrily.

"Mei Hatsume. I'm from support." I say plainly.

"Support." Bakugo repeats, "So, you have weak Quirk then? Pass." Bakugo says as he turns around.

I feel my face twist in anger as I want to say something, but keep my mouth shut as I don't have time to fight nor be kicked out.

"H-Hey! Bakugo, she can help with her inventions!" Mina says as Bakugo doesn't look back.

"I said no! Either side with me or stay with her, I don't care acid girl!" Bakugo barks.

Mina signs and looks at me with a sadden expression, "I'm sorry, he's just like that."

I nod my head, "I see that." Midoriya's bully. I had the displeasure of meeting him for only five seconds, and his actions already speak volumes. He is like everyone at lower grade school. A punk who sees himself as a superior person than me. I flash Mina a smile, "It's alright. I'm fine, Mina."

Mina gives me a smile back, "Good. Sorry, but I really want to side with him. No offense to you, but it's his all-purpose Quirk that is an advantage and supreme tactical mindset that sold me. I thought that maybe I could get you on the team to play as a supporting role, but…yeah." Mina explains herself before leaves in a hurry.

I sign and look down.

" _Hey. It's okay. You'll prove everyone wrong and show what they are missing out on. Remember why you are here."_ Tony tells me with a gentle yet firm voice to get my mood back up.

I smile a little, "Thanks." I breath deeply and look up with a smile, "Okay. Let's get make a team." I make my way towards an individual I knew well due to my studying last week: Ibarra Shiozaki. She is quite taller in person. "Excuse me!"

Shiozaki turns to me and flashes me a calming smile. Somehow a spotlight is suddenly over head but I've seen weirder things that I do not question it, "Why yes, how may I help you?" Shiozaki asks me.

"I'm looking for a team, and it seems you need one too." I say to her as she nods her head.

"That is true. But are we compatible?" Shiozaki is at least clever enough to understand that.

I nod my head, "This may sound unnerving, but hear me out. I am from the support class, and my quirk only enhances my vision to five kilometers maximum." I was right as Shiozaki seemed a bit surprised, but did not take her eyes off of me, giving me the notation to explain myself, "Since I am in support, I can provide a variety of assets that can give us a great advantage."

"I'm listening." Shiozaki says.

I activate my hover soles and levitate a little, "Air game. Not many people here can fly, so we'll have a great advantage if we steal some headbands and remain in the air for the rest of time." Shiozaki seems intrigued, but not sold, "Let's say our air attack does not work out. Well, I have other babies, that's what I call my inventions, that can benefit us in the long run. To add on, I saw how you used your Quirk in the entrance exam before I gain distance from you! You are able to use your hair like vines, which is a solid offense and defense. You are able to deflect attacks, and if our band gets stolen, you can always retrieve it just as fast!" I lie with great confidence and then point to myself, "Not only that, but I came in second place and you were placed in fifth, we have a great value together already! What do you say?"

Shiozaki looks at me for a moment before smiling and bowing slightly, "I accept. Let's form a team." Shiozaki straightens herself, "Do you have anyone else in mind?"

I smile sheepishly, "Not really, I only saw you and some others, but they won't mix well with us. Do you have anyone in mind?" I know many people, but I need to look clueless so I don't look suspicious.

Shiozaki looks around until she stares in one direction, "I do." Shiozaki begins to walk as I follow her. "Kendo!"

Kendo, huh? The one with the 'Big Fist Quirk?'

Kendo turns around and smiles upon us approaching her, "Shiozaki, I assume you want to pair up?" Kendo asks as Shiozaki nods her head.

"We do." Shiozaki then looks towards me, "I'm sorry, I forgot to ask for your name. I am Ibarra Shiozaki, and you are?"

"Mei Hatsume." I say proudly and look towards Kendo, "I'm from support!"

Kendo smiles at me, "Nice to meet you, I am Itsuka Kendo." Kendo says before looking at Shiozaki again, "You formed a team with her, and want to add me to it?" Kendo placed her hands over her chest, "What is her Quirk?"

"It is called, 'Zoom.' I can enhance my vision up to five kilometers." I say and begin to explain what I told Shiozaki.

"Okay. I see that is a great strategy, but my Quirk only allows me to make my hands bigger. What can I do?" Kendo questions with great interest. 

I smirk slightly, "More defense. You can block any incoming attack if Shiozaki is focusing on another problem. If Shiozaki is trying, retrieve a band, and we are attacked, you can use your giant hands to defend us, plus, with you in the back, you can use a jetpack I have! I wasn't going to have Shiozaki use it considering her vines might be damaged, but you wouldn't have to worry about that problem!" I say as Kendo nods her head.

"Alright then. I'm in. It sounds like you have all of this figured out." Kendo and Shiozaki share a glance before looking back to me, "Are we going to need one more member?"

I shake my head, "No, I think we are good. Now, let's get you girls prepared." I say before I pull out a capsule, "Thank you Ant-Man for creating capsule holders." I say as I throw the capsule onto the ground and a big box appears. I open it up and pull out a jetpack and two more pairs of hover soles. I give Kendo a pair and the jetpack while Shiozaki takes the last pair. They equip them on as I look at the clock, "Showtime." I say as the clock shows thirty seconds.

I close the box and a press a button on it as it returns into capsule form. I place the capsule in my pocket as time expires. "Time's up! Everyone get your cavalry ready!" Midnight yells out.

I climb onto Shiozaki and Kendo's shoulders. "Alright girls. I don't care if we get first place, the goal is to advance. I rather be in third place and move on then not move on at all."

Kendo and Shiozaki look at me with confident smiles.

"I agree, Hatsume." Shiozaki says.

"Same here." Kendo then lights up as if she had an idea, "Say Hatsume, I just got an idea."

"Shoot."

"What if we…" Kendo then whispers to all of us her plan as I grin in delight.

"Yes. Let's do that."

* * *

**Next time on 'Iron Maiden!'**

**Hatsume: Oh my god everyone is trying to kill you!**

**Midoriya: I regret nothing! But I that does not mean I am not utterly terrified!**

**Hatsume: Luckily for me, that leaves too many opportunities to take!**

**Midoriya: Wait...why is everyone charging after you now?!**

**Hatsume: Wait, what?**

**Hatsume and Midoriya: Next time on 'Iron Maiden!' Cavalry Battle! First Round! WHAT?! Hatsume vs Midoriya?!**

**See ya next time!**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally! The Sports Festival is underway! So! Already some major changes such as Hatsume's placement in the obstacle race, the team she is on, and of course, the better capabilities of her babies that will soon be put the test in the next chapter.
> 
> Also! I have made references to other anime's and Marvel heroes. Some are obvious, some may or may not be noticeable, and one of them is a mix between an anime and marvel character.
> 
> Anyways, I am out!


	9. Longshot: Part 2

**I AM SO SORRY FOR NOT UPDATING SOONER! I had so much school work from college, job hunting, taking care of younger siblings, and I pretty much lost my motivation to write due to stress. But! I have a spark of motivation and I did not let it go to waste! I hope I can keep myself motivated because I love this story, much more than ‘With Great Powers, Comes A Great Alliance’ actually.**

**Anyways, a new chapter, yay! It is ridiculously long, like very long. Don’t expect them to be this long though, I try to keep it at a maximum of 15 pages.**

* * *

 

“Is everyone ready?” Midnight asked, “No? Too bad! BEGIN!”

As soon as those words left the mistress’s mouth everyone charged at Midoriya’s team. Well, almost everyone. My team stood back as we watched Midoriya and his group, Uraraka, and a bird-head fellow, get swarmed by the teams. I understand why they would go after him. Midoriya has the 1 million point band, an instant winner if you hang onto it throughout the match. Well, I don’t think everyone was accounting for second or third place which is okay by me. I don’t care much for winning the obstacle course, it’s not a big spotlight nor the ultimate prize, and like my partners Itsuka Kendo and Ibara Shiozaki, we just wanna advance.

With that being said, we set our plan in motion. “Shiozaki!” I shout.

“Right!” Shiozaki’s vines start to grow out and extend towards many of our opposition’s headbands.

“WHAT’S THIS?!” Present Mic shouts, “WHAT IS TEAM HATSUME DOING?!” We answered his question rather quickly as the vines snatch headbands off the riders head, all of them looking at us with stunning looks. “WHAT A BRILLIANT STRATEGY! INSTEAD OF RUSHING TEAM MIDORIYA LIKE EVERYONE ELSE, TEAM HATSUME HUNG BACK AND STOLE HEADBANDS RIGHT UNDER THEIR OPPONENTS NOSES!” Present Mic explained as the crowd cheered for us.

“Great plan, Kendo!” I say happily as I place five bands around my neck, “What’s next?”

“Run!” Kendo yells as the five teams start to chase us now.

“Activate flight mode!” I yell out as I press a button on my jetpack, “Kendo, move your head!” I say to her as she does so. Not a moment later, we are in the air and flying over everyone. The hover soles on our feet turn on as well and keep us afloat in the air. “That’s your plan, Kendo?!”

“For now!” She yells back with a smile, “It was reasonable to believe that those five teams would charge at us the instant we took their headbands, so I had to plan for that!” Kendo informed me. I had to admit, she did have a point. “Let’s try to waste as much as time as possible in the air that way when we are forced to land, we already killed the clock some!” Shiozaki and I nod in agreement.

“GET THE **** DOWN HERE!” Yelled out a familiar angry voice. Before Shiozaki used her Quirk to steal everyone’s bands, I used mine to find the ones with the best value, and Bakugo’s so happened to be one of them.

“LANGUAGE!” Shiozaki glared down at the user of such profanity.

I looked down to see that Bakugo had left his group and was chasing us in the air with his explosion Quirk acting as a source of flight. “Shiozaki! Defend against him! Kendo’s hands will add weight, and set us off balance!” Shiozaki nodded her head and launched several vines at him. Bakugo dodged all of them as he kept charging at us with a ferocious grin.

“You’re mine now!” Bakugo yelled out before one of Shiozaki’s grabbed him by lig left leg, “What the?!” Bakugo looked back down but had little time to react as the vine flung him back towards the ground. Bakugo’s team would have been disqualified if Bakugo had landed on the ground, but a plain-looking boy using some type of tape Quirk made the save as he wrapped the tap around Bakugo and pulled him back towards his team.

I let out a breath of relief, “Oh that’s a-” I hear a sharp noise as we all look at the jetpack to see that an earplug was inside of it. “Damn it Jiro,” I mumble as the jetpack then stops working as we start to slowly descend towards the ground. We would have been falling at a much faster rate, but due to the hover soles more sufficient capabilities, we are not.

“There are only two groups waiting for us down below! I believe the other three decided to go after the others!” Kendo said.

I ponder in my head for a moment and look down to see that Bakugo’s group along with Jiro’s were the two waiting for us. Bakugo had Mina and two others I did not recognize and Jiro was not the leader of her group. Instead, her group all looked as though they were holding up someone, but no one was there. I shake the many questions in my head and begin to plan out a strategy. “When we land, Shiozaki handles Bakugo’s group. One of them has acid for a quirk, and that really damage Kendo’s capabilities, thus causing a severe decline in our chances of winning. Shiozaki, I’m sorry, but your vines are pretty expendable.”

Shiozaki simply smiled in my direction, “I am willing to sacrifice my own hair for this occasion. I can always grow it back.”

I nod my head as we approach the ground, “Kendo. You block out the other group’s offense, and if you have to, attack them. I only know that the purple haired one, Jiro, has a Quirk that allows her to paralyze others with her earphone jacks, so be careful.” Between acid and temporary paralyzation, I think the latter suits us better since it is limited whereas the burning sensation of acid will last the whole match. Shiozaki would be the perfect counter to either or, but I don’t want to overstress her either by having her take on both.

“Right.” Kendo acknowledges.

As we hit the ground gently, both teams waste little time and charge at us. “Okay,” I say as I pull out a new baby from my side, “Let’s dance!” I say as I activate a new baby. Since I am using Stark Tech, why not create a gun that fires repulsor blasts?

_“Fancy. You will get some type of attention with that.”_ Tony said.

“I know,” I mumble to him before firing a blast at Jiro’s group, my shot narrowing missing them.

“Woah! What was that?!” Jiro asked.

“Heck if I know, but it looks dangerous!” Said a familiar voice.

I blink and look at Jiro’s group, specifically the upper portion of it, “Hagakure?”

“In the flesh!” Hagakure replied as I heard a click, “Took you that long to realize I was here?”

“Well, you invisible girl.” I reply and dodge one of Jiro’s earplugs, “Hey! Stop that!”

“Not a chance!” Jiro said as she continued to use her earplugs, but was having trouble getting passed Kendo’s massive hands. “Damn, those are big hands!”

“Thanks! All part of my Quirk!” Kendo said with some vigor as I kept firing my rounds at them. On the other side, I hear Bakugo roaring in frustration.

“Will you just die already?!” Bakugo yelled at Shiozaki while she kept defending against Mina’s acid, his explosions, and some guy shooting tape from his elbows.

Shiozaki kept her glare on the angry boy, “You are nothing but a mere brat! I can’t believe you lead your class if your attitude is just spoiled!” Shiozaki roared back.

“What was that you b****!?” Bakugo set off an explosion towards Shiozaki, but her vines created a shield that blocked most of the impact of the attack. The only way we could tell that damage was made was through the smell of burnt grass.

“We can’t keep this up forever!” I yell out as I grab another baby of mine from my pocket. “Kendo, use your hands to push us up into the air! Use as much force as possible!” I say to her.

“Are you sure about this?! That leaves you wide open!” Kendo asks with caution, one of her hands in a paralyzed state while the other is guarding us.

“Just do it!” I yell back. I really hope this work.

Kendo grabs Jiro’s earplug and rips it out of her hand. Jiro retreats her earplugs as Kendo’s hand begins to move. Without wasting another second, Kendo places her hands onto the ground. Jiro realized an opportunity and attempted to grab one or more of my headbands with her earplugs. Kendo quickly pushed against the ground, shooting us up into the air.

“Hey, Jiro, have a taste of your own medicine!” I say as I throw a small metal ball towards the ground. Not a moment later, a huge surge of electricity shoots through the ground and electrocutes everyone in the surrounding area. Shiozaki and Kendo both look at me in awe.

“Wow….you guys in Support class rock,” Kendo says.

I snicker and smugly reply, “Nah just me. It’s why I’m the only support student in this round!” I proudly state before we hit the ground. We dash away from the stunned groups as I look around to see if we have any followers. “We’re clear for now!” I say as I spot Midoriya’s group going up against Todoroki’s group. “Let’s stay clear of those guys,” I say before we are approached by another group.

“My my Shiozaki, Kendo. You two sure do know how to make an impact at the beginning of the round no less!” A boy with slick, blonde hair asked. He has the average body of everyone else here at the school, but I can’t help but see that his most distinctive feature is that smirk of his that gives him a rather contemptuous look. The boy eyes me for a second with curiosity, “She isn’t part of our class nor 1-A, who is she?”

“Mei Hatsume, Support Class.” I reply, “And you are?”

“Neito Monoma.” Monoma introduces himself before pointing to the other below him, “These are  Kosei Tsuburaba, Sen Kaibara, and Shihai Kuroiro.” The three of them wave at me in a friendly manner but have the same competitive smirk as Monoma on. “Well. I am sure you know how this conversation is going to end.”

I look towards Kendo and Shiozaki, the former having a grin on her face while latter keeps her calm demeanor on. “Bring it, Monoma,” Kendo speaks for us while I reload my pulse pistol.

“As you wish, Kendo.” Monoma states before Tsuburaba blows into the air, the air itself turning solid.

_“Wow. That is pretty cool actually.”_ Tony admits, _“Does it hit hard though?”_

“Guess we’ll find out,” I say as I fire a pulse shot at it, the solid air shattering into pieces.

“Wow! That is a cool weapon you have there!” Tsuburaba says before making a few more pieces of solid air, Monoma grabbing a few pieces. “But we will take those bands!” Tsuburaba announces before they charge at us.

“Kendo, Shiozaki! Do your thing!” I plainly say while I look behind us and see both Bakugo’s group and Jiro coming at us, “Awwww shi-”

“Don’t you dare finish that sentence.” Shiozaki eyes me with distaste.

“-iiiiiiiiime.” I say weirdly before shaking my head, “We have more company behind us!” Kendo and Shiozaki look behind us and see the two groups coming.

The other two groups come at us and now we are trapped between a rock and a hard place. Between these three groups, Monoma’s should be the easiest to get passed by.

“You f***ers are not getting away again!” Bakugo grinds his teeth with a psychotic expression on his face. Mina and the other member of his team look at him with a fearful expression while Kirishima just looks slightly embarrassed.

“Hatsume, that was a cheap trick! Clever, but cheap!” Hagakure tells me but keeps the cheerful expression in her voice.

“Well well well, Class 1-A.” Monoma speaks with mockery in his voice, “Wait...are they without their headbands?! Ha! That is priceless!” Monoma’s calm expression now has changed into one of complexity.

_“Uh-huh. We have a sociopath here.”_ Tony states.

“What’s it to you, blondie?” Jiro said with a bored tone.

“To think you are supposed to be better than my class, Class 1-B, and to see that your headbands are already stolen, by my class and one from the Support Class no less, is just comical!” Monoma said before looking at Bakugo, “Oh hey, you’re kinda famous huh?” That caught everyone’s attention, including Bakugo’s. “You were the one who was attacked by that sludge villain; you’ll have to tell me about it sometime. It must be strange to always find yourself being in the role of the victim.”

“Oh, this isn’t going to end well,” I say.

“Monoma, I would ask for you to refrain from bringing up personal experiences, it has no place in such events; especially ones that revolve around villain attacks!” Kendo loudly states at her classmate. The sociopath’s expression dies down as he reverts back to a normal state, but without one last jab.

“Fine. I wouldn’t want to waste my breath on someone who's very fragile, I certainly wouldn’t want to be the reason why he breaks.” Monoma sarcastically says with a humorous tone.

I could feel the unrelenting rage radiating from Bakugo’s body; it was so hot that I felt as though my skin was burning from just being in his presence, and I am positive that Kendo and Shiozaki felt the same way, but that was not what I was focusing on. I was looking at the scoreboards. We are in third place. In front were Midoriya, being first place, Todoroki in second, my team in third, and Monoma in fourth. I placed my hand on my chin as I began to deep think about a strategy.

_“You have an idea?”_ Tony asked.

“Yeah.” I grab on my bands from my neck, “I do.” I rip the band off of my neck as everyone looks at me stunned, but not before it turns into complete shock as I toss the band at Monoma’s group. I can not say I was surprised when his group gladly took the band. I did the math in my head. If I give Monoma the band with the least amount of points, he would be tied for third with me. That is enough to go after him in place value, but another reason is that now Bakugo would aim his wrath towards Monoma now instead of my group. Monoma has equal merit as me, but with him taunting Bakugo, he placed himself in a hole he can not escape from. In other words, I threw a red cloth at another man in order for the bull to chase him instead of me.

“Hatsume! What are doing?!” Kendo asked with disbelief.

“I teamed with you to win, not to lose! What is the meaning of this turnabout?!” Shiozaki also questioned me.

I ignored them as I looked at Bakugo. If my prediction is right, his rage would hinder his common sense, even for a moment. “Hey, ragefest.” That piercing evil glare turns to me. I am quite glad I have goggles on because I would not be able to look him in the eye. I quickly regain my composure and point to the scoreboard, “With those points, he is tied for third place, that is a lot of worth. Wanna take a shot at him for embarrassing you?”

Monoma’s group looks at me in realization and horror, except for Monoma himself, while the others eye me with the same looks minus the terror.

Bakugo’s lips slowly turned to the upside in one of my sickest fashions I ever saw, and not in a cool way either. “I know you’re playing me, but I’ll take the bait anyways.” I think I am lucky he has an ego then because had he did not, he’d probably aim for my team. “Kirishima, we’re taking his ass down!” Bakugo roared as I looked down towards my redhead friend.

“Thanks a lot, Hatsume…” Kirishima said with an annoyed look.

I give him a thumbs up and smile, “You’re welcome!” I hear him snicker lightly, but not enough to put down his mood. “Alright girls, let’s back up.” Kendo and Shiozaki nod as we run away from the scene.

“Hey! Don’t forget about us!” Hagakure says as they chase us from behind. The only thing we can hear is the sounds of explosions coming from the back.

“Hey, do either of you know how much time we have left?” Kendo asks us.

“ONE MINUTE LEFT!”

I nod my head, “I think we have one minute left.”

“TODOROKI MADE IT SO HE’D HAVE THE TEN MILLION TO HIMSELF TO SEIZE IN AN INSTANT!” Present Mic yelled out with new information, “AT LEAST THAT’S WHAT I THOUGHT FIVE MINUTES AGO!” I turn my head to the right to see a large barrier of ice in one place. It closed off any entrance or exit, except for the sky above as there was a big opening over them. “BUT UNBELIEVABLY, MIDORIYA’S BEEN ABLE TO KEEP AWAY IN THAT CRAMPED SPACE FOR FIVE MINUTES!”

For five whole minutes, Midoriya has been evading Todoroki’s group? Wait last time I saw them, they were running around…..this event was supposed to be thirty minutes…..“It’s already been 29 minutes?!” I screech, “How?! We barely did anything!”

“I guess the hang time in the air was a lot longer than we expected.” Kendo states. Shiozaki suddenly puts up a shield with her quirk to block Jiro’s quirk from getting our bands. “We kinda forgot about them didn’t we?” Kendo points out.

“Ah we did, but they were lagging behind,” I say as I pull out a disk-shaped object from my side. “Hold still for a second,” I say as I throw it at the ice and the disk attaches itself to the ice.

“What’s that?” Kendo asks.

“You’ll see,” I say as the disk lights up and begins to beep for a moment before suddenly exploding and creating a huge hole in the ice wall. I look inside the wall to see both teams are stunned. I wave to them, “Hey guys, mind if I join the party?”

“HOLY MOLY! MEI HATSUME FROM THE SUPPORT CLASS THREW A DISK AND IT BLEW UP A PORTION OF THE WALL!” Present Mic told the audience, “THIS GIRL IS FIGHTING AS IF SHE HAS A CHIP ON HER SHOULDER!”

If only Present Mic knew how close he was to the truth. “Rush them!” I yell out as we enter the ice along with Hagakure’s group. “Let’s break the tie, if we can’t, then defend the bands!” I say as Shiozaki uses her vines to try and grab Midoriya’s band, but is unable to do to a shadow looking bird emitting from a mutant with the head of a raven or crow. Jiro uses her earplugs to try and grab Todoroki’s band but fails as he froze ice in their path.

_“Where are the other groups? Shouldn’t there be a swarm by now?”_ I ask myself before reloading my blaster pistol. “Alright! Dodge this!” I say as I fire it as the shadow who reals back in pain.

“Dark Shadow!” The bird-head yells in concern. I see the shadow shrinking lightly.

“Light weakens it, so with my repulsor pistol…” I grin lightly and change the settings on my pistol. “Let’s see it take this!” I click my pistol once as it begins to fire automatically. The shots are rapid, but weaker, though it does not matter as Dark Shadow reels back more and further shrink.

“Midoriya! I can not keep this up!” The bird-head exclaims.

“Bring Dark Shadow back, Tokoyami!” Midoriya yells out as Tokoyami does so. Dark Shadow disappears into Tokoyami’s chest. “Uraraka, float us!”

“Okay!” Uraraka says as she holds onto her stomach like she is in pain too. All of them begin to float up as Shiozaki aims several vines towards them. Some latch onto them while the rest aim for the band. Midoriya was quick enough to react in time as he dodged all of the vines in order to keep the band.

Before we could do any more offense, we were cut off by a sheet of ice. I turn my head to see Tokoyami had frozen Hagakure’s team in place and was now focusing his attention back to Midoriya. “Yaoyorozu.” Todoroki spoke, his voice ever so plain, “Again.” Yaoyorozu held a staff and gave it to him. Todoroki placed it on the ground before I realized what was about to happen.

“Oh no, you don’t!” I quickly reset my pistol to a single shot and aim it at Todoroki. I use my quirk to better my aim with my goggles giving me a precise shot. I fire my pistol at the rod before it could reach the ground, and the rod was shot out of Todoroki’s hand. “Shiozaki, cover us!” I say as I throw another disk to the wall in front of us. Shiozaki uses her vines to shield us from the blast. The blast destroyed the wall once more as we see Midoriya’s group on the ground. “All-out assault!” I yell out as we rush towards Midoriya’s group along with Todoroki’s. In a surprise twist, I see Bakugo fly over the wall with his explosions as his team is behind him, coming through the hole in the wall we made.

“Tokoyami!” Midoriya yells out as Dark Shadow appears once more in a very fragile state. I feel the adrenaline pumping through my veins as all of us aim for the number one spot. There is no way Midoriya is going to leave with the one million band still around his neck!

“TIME’S UP!”

Or he will.

All of us stop in place while Bakugo falls flat on his face.

“Let’s take a look at our winners!” Present Mic shouts with less volume than usual, “In a rare feat only accomplished thrice in U.A Sports Festival history, Team Midoriya managed to hold onto the one million band the whole way through!” The crowd roars and chants for the team, showing them in well deserved praise. I couldn’t help but smile for them. “In second place, Team Todoroki!” I look over to see them all looking content, but Iida looks a bit troubled, not too much though. “In third place, we have a tie! Team Hatsume and Team Bakugo!” I avert my gaze to see Bakugo throwing a temper tantrum on the floor while his team looks on in embarrassment. I roll my eyes and let the baby whine as I take my goggles off and jump off Kendo and Shiozaki’s shoulders.

We all look at one another with equal smiles on our faces. “We did great girls! Sure we didn’t win first place, but we still made it to the finals!” I say with happiness as both of them nod in agreement.

“I must say Hatsume, you really had some surprises. It was an honor teaming up with you.” Kendo says with her hand sticking out.

I shake it firmly and nod my head. “It was an honor too, Kendo.”

Shiozaki softly giggles in delight at our actions. Shiozaki then speaks in turn, “I didn’t expect you to throw one of our bands away, but then I recognized you knew what you were doing after you had done the dead. You gave that band away so Bakugo would chase after Monoma since he would have had as much value as we do.” Shiozaki then bowed slightly, “I’m sorry, but I must be honest. I had my doubts about you, even during the battle, but after seeing you perform, I see no reason to keep any uncertainty about you. I apologize, Hatsume.”

I was quite stunned at the sight. Not because of Shiozaki unsureness of me, but because she atoned for it. I rarely get that from anyone, so to see that she is remorseful for it, it feels kinda nice to prove someone wrong. “It’s okay, Shiozaki.” I say as I give her a bright smile, “I’m just glad I was able to help all of us advance rather than being carried or not advancing at all.” Shiozaki straightens up as we shake hands as well. I look between them for a moment before letting a sign in pleasure, “We were a great team, I really enjoyed working with you both. I wish you both luck in the next event,” I change my look to show them my competitiveness,” But don’t expect me to go down without a fight if we are forced to face one another.” Kendo and Shiozaki both give me the same look of fighting spirits as we split in different directions after saying our goodbyes.

* * *

 

Present Mic announced that everyone was taking an hour break for lunch, so I made my way to the back where all competitors were eating at.

_“So, kid, you really pulled some great tactics out there. Not any I would have done, mine would lead to all the bands in my possession, but still, good enough to pull through.”_ Tony tells me as I eat my soba while walking towards the exit.

“You really like to show-off, don’t you?” I ask him.

_“And they say there’s no such thing as a stupid question.”_ Tony snickers as I laugh a little.

“At least let me have my moment without one-upping me. Even when Version I was built, you still showed off Model 50 just to irk me.”

_“I showed it off to motivate you. If you are everything I believe you are, one day, you might be worthy to put on that suit.”_ Tony then chuckles, _“Or maybe even surpass it…”_

Have a Version that could surpass Model 50? That’s a dream that would take a long time to accomplish.

_“So. What is the plan?”_

“Depending on who I face will determine whether or not I will debut Version I. I’m not going to display my best advantage from the start, I want to surprise them.”

_“In other words, you want to do an old fashion Iron Man entrance.”_

I smirk a little, “Yeah.”

_“Neat. I’ll find you a song than on the internet. It’ll play when Version I is covering your body.”_ Even entrance music? Aww, hell yea. _“Not gonna go socialize with your new friends?”_ Tony says as I exit the building.

“I don’t even know where they are.”

_“There is a thing called ‘looking.’ Trust me it is very useful if you want to find someone or something.”_ Tony remarks.

“You love my social life, don’t you?”

_“I will be honest. I could care less about it, but I know the value of allies. And I don’t want you to be alone, it’s not a good thing. Loneliness can destroy people.”_ Tony tells me as I finish up my soba and toss the plastic bowl and utensils in a nearby trash can.

“Okay, okay, I guess I will-” I pause as I see Todoroki exit from one of the area entrances. A few moments later, Midoriya also exits the same hole. Were they doing something? With so much curiosity in my mind, I walk towards them.

_“Gonna push him back into that hole and kiss him?”_

“Will you shut up?!” I silently say with red on my face. I hear Tony laughing in my ear as I approach Midoriya who notices me.

“Hey, Hatsume!” Midoriya says, “That was a great match! You really knew how to beat Dark Shadow! How did you figure that out?” Midoriya asks, “As a matter of fact, how did you even break through the ice?”

“With new babies of course!” I say as I whip out my pistol. Midoriya flinches as I chuckle, “It’s okay, the safety is on.” I say as I twirl it around my finger.

“Are you even allowed to have that on you right now?” Midoriya questions.

“No.” I reply as we stand in silence for a moment, “Want to check it out?”

“Do I!” Midoriya says as I hand him the pistol, “What does it fire?”

“Oh it’s just energy that is created by taking excess electrons and turning them into muons, then the energy is turned into an electric current that then runs through a section of the pistol that harnesses the power to create a small amount of plasma. Because of muons electromagnetic properties, the plasma and muons can then be fired from the barrel and out of the muzzle to create a repulsor shot.” I explain to him with ease. “No big deal.”

Midoriya is looking at me with a confused look, “I’m going to pretend I understood all of that, but beyond that, that is awesome!” Midoriya says as he then pauses, “Wait….repulsor shots?”

“Yeah!” I say excitedly.

Midoriya’s eyes then widen in shock as if he discovered something, “ You mean like one of the most legendary heroes ever and former Avenger: The Invincible Iron Man?!”

I hear Tony whisper in my ear, _“He even added the ‘Invincible’ part? Awwwww now I’m happy.”_

“You know of him?” I tilt my head as Midoriya nods.

“I sure do! He is a big inspiration to a lot of people who want to be heroes! People with weaker quirks can look up to him because his Quirk was ‘Super Intelligence’ and that wasn’t a popular one among society nor one good enough to physically brawl against villains!”

_“Painful, but true.”_

“But instead of accepting where society put him, he created a suit of armor to fight villains, and then he created more and more to help him battle against any enemy and be ready for any situation!” Midoriya then looked at me in awe, “His armor was so advanced that nobody has been able to replicate it since he disapproved of anyone getting their hands on it just in case it fell into the wrong hands.” He then looked over the gun more, “To see that you have created a repulsor blast makes me wonder if you are the closest person to recreating the Iron Man suits.”

I keep my gaze off of Midoriya. I always believed eyes can tell a story, so I fear that if I look him in the eyes, he might figure me out.

I am not sure whether I should be surprised or not that Midoriya has heard of Iron Man though. He is a cute nerd, but Iron Man isn’t really one to be well-known since he is of an older generation and in the shadow of Spider-Man, the most famous hero in their generation.

Midoriya hands me back my pistol as I place it back in its holster. “You should go eat something before the next round. You won’t be able to do your best on an empty stomach.” I say to him as Midoriya nods and runs off. I watch him exit out of my sight before signing, “Do you think he’ll figure it out?”

_“That kid is intelligent but too naive to notice what’s real.”_ Tony signs as well, _“But I wouldn’t bet on it. I just wonder how long we can keep this a secret considering nothing can be hidden forever. What’s done in the dark will be brought to light, and I have been hidden for plenty of years. I know I will be revealed to the world again, but I plan that it will happen on my terms.”_

I look at my hand for a moment as if it was the most interesting thing at the moment. “The suit will be spoiled today, there is no chance of winning the tournament without it. But you, Tony, I will keep you a secret. You wanted to be hidden from the world, so I shall do so until you wish to be known.”

_“I know you will kid, but don’t guard me with your life, that’s my job.”_

“What do you mean?”

Tony’s voice sounds more than serious, _“If something happens to you, I don’t know what I will do. Your fate will be on me, and I can’t have that on my conscious. If push comes to shove, and the opponent is too great for you, I will expose myself to protect you. You are my pupil, and it is my responsibility as a teacher, and a hero, to save you when you need it. I will not allow you to die.”_

Hearing those words brings me great comfort, yet I can’t help but feel burdened by them either. If I get into a situation where Tony is forced to show himself to the world, then it will be all my fault. He wants to remain hidden for as long as he can for whatever reason, but he won’t be able to do so on his accord if I find myself on death’s door. I can’t let that happen. I won’t allow it.

“All students, report to the stadium immediately! All in attendance, you have fifteen minutes to reenter the stadium before the gates shut! You do not want to be left behind!” Present Mic says over the intercoms. I head back into the stadium to face the final challenge.

* * *

 

“Now that lunch is over, it is finally time to reveal the last game!” Present Mic yells out. Everyone has gathered inside the stadium by now, but I do notice the Class 1-A girls are not present yet. “But before that, there is good news for those who did not make it to the finals! This is just a sports festival!” Present Mic makes it sound like it isn’t a big deal. “So we’ve prepared recreational games that everyone can participate in, too!” I turn to my left to see American cheerleaders wearing orange and green outfits with yellow palm palms in their hands, “We’ve even brought real cheerleaders from America to lighten things up!” There are plenty of boys and men taking pictures of them. I can tell the difference between the pervs and the media just by looking at their expressions and camera angles.

I avert my eyes away and see a sight that stumps my head, “Huh?”

“What are they doing?” I hear Class 1-A’s teacher say over the mic.

Dressed in the same clothing as the American cheerleaders were the Class 1-A girls, all of them! They all looked adorable in them, but their expressions displayed embarrassment.

“Class 1-A! What kind of fan service is this?!” Present Mic asks the million dollar question.

Yaoyorozu shoots a glare in the direction of Mineta and another boy, the same one yellow hair on Todoroki’s team, “Mineta, Kaminari! You tricked us didn’t you?!” Both of the boys had smiles on their faces and giving each other thumbs up. On one hand, I feel like smacking them both, but on the other hand, I can’t believe the girls allowed themselves to be fooled if they know Mineta is just trying to see them in outfits that will arouse him.

I walk over towards the girls and place my hand on my hips, “You okay down there?” I ask Yaoyorozu as she has fallen to her knees with an ashamed look on her face with Uraraka patting her back in comfort.

Yaoyorozu looks up to me, “I will be, thanks.” She says as I look over to see Jiro with a blush on her face.

“Those guys are so dumb!” Jiro throws her palm palms on the floor and places her around over chest.

“Oh come on, Jiro, you look adorable in that!” I say gleefully.

Jiro shoots me daggers, “Oh screw you Hatsume! How about you put on one then?!”

I laugh a little, “No thanks, I am good.”

“Oh don’t be a downer Jiro,” Hagakure says, “There is still time before the finals, and it be a pain if things got tense!” Hagakure then proceeds to swing her palm palms around, “I say let’s do it!”

“WHAT?!” Jiro looks at her in shock.

“Toru, you like this, huh?” Asui asks.

“I’d be lying if I say I didn’t!” Hagakure stated with some red where I assume her cheeks are.

I smile a little before feeling a tap on my shoulder. I turn to see Mina, “Hey Mina!” I say with a smile.

“Hey girl!” Mina says before showing off herself, “Do I look cute in this or what?” Mina says with excitement.

“You do, you really do.” I smile back as Mina then has a look in her eyes.

“I wonder how you will look in this.” Mina snickers as I place my hands up.

“No thanks! Like I told Jiro, I am fine!” I say as Mina grins and places a hand on my shoulder.

“Oh come on, it will be fun! Besides…” She then points to Midoriya, who was talking to Iida, “You might grab his attention.”

I blush madly at the mere thought of it and smack Mina’s hand off my shoulder, “N-No way!” Mina rubs her hand slightly but still keeps the grin on her face.

“You know you want his attention~!”

“Mina!”

“Okay, fine.” Mina signs with a giggle, “Then again, knowing your body in a cheerleader outfit, you might catch the attention of others such as those two.” Mina then aims her finger at Mineta and yellow hair, “And I hate to put that burden on you. Especially with Mineta.”

“I think I am already on his crossover. He tried to latch onto me during the obstacle race, but I dodged him. He tried again, but then got smackdown by one of the test robots.” I laugh a little as I remember the scene of him getting tossed like a ragdoll, “It was hilarious.” I laugh again as Mina chuckles lightly.

“I bet it was,” Mina says as Present Mic speaks up.

“All right everyone! Let’s have fun competing in the recreational games!” Present Mic says as the TV screens show a tournament bracket, “When that is over, the sixteen from the four teams that made it to the final round will duke it out one-on-one tournament style!”

The final round is one on one action. Of course, it is. There is always a battleground in the Sports Festival whether it be a free-for-all, Royal Rumble, or whatever they decide on.

“It was a tournament last year, wasn’t it?” Mina asks.

“Yeah, but it was a chanbara match,” I answer quickly.

“Wait, hold on. I’m getting new info now that two of our teams were groups of three! So there two spots left, and we can not just subtract one bracket from the tournament as it will make it unbalanced!” Present Mic says, “With that being said, there will be two draws! The first one will decide two lucky people who did not qualify for the final round to be advanced!”

Everyone who did not make it the tournament had lightened up with hope as Midnight stepped onto center stage with two boxes next to her. She picked up the one right, “Let’s see who is lucky enough to earn a free pass from the dungeon~” Midnight says while licking her lips. Is she really a high school teacher? Midnight puts her hand in the box and pulls out the first name.

“Kyoka Jiro!”

“OH MY GOD!” I hear Jiro yell from behind as her friends around her cheer her on.

Midnight puts her hand into the box once more and pulls out the final pass, “Neito Monoma!”

“Really now? How lucky of me.” Monoma says. I don’t need to look back to see the surprise on his face.

“Sorry to the rest of you who were not selected, but remember, your road to being heroes does not end here. Strive on and be resilient.” Midnight clearly speaks and clears her throat, “Now that is over with, let’s move on towards the tournament itself!”

“The first match will be Ejiro Kirishima vs Tenya Iida!”

“Allllll right!” Kirishima says as he eyes Iida, “Let’s make it a great match class president!”

“I will bring my all, Kirishima! And I agree, let’s make it a great match!” Iida responds.

“The second match is: Mina Ashido vs Ochaco Uraraka!”

Mina and Uraraka lock eyes. “Don’t think I will go easy on you just because we are friends Uraraka!” Mina says.

“I hope not! I want you to hit me with your best shot!” Uraraka replies with ambition.

“The third match will contest: Katsuki Bakugo vs Hanta Sero!”

“Hey flat face! You are going down!” Bakugo roars.

“Oh geez, why am I facing him first?!” Sero seems scared to fight him.

“The fourth match will be: Fumikage Tokoyami vs Ibarra Shiozaki!”

“I will show you the true power of the dark side,” Tokoyami says to Shiozaki.

“And I will show you that the light can shine through any darkness you bestow upon me.” Shiozaki says with a weird spotlight on her.

“The fifth match is: Neito Monoma vs Itsuka Kendo!”

“I do not wish to fight against one of my classmates, but if I have to go past one of us in order to win and show up Class 1-A, then so be it!” Monoma states.

“You’ve been granted a second chance, and you don’t even acknowledge it? You are seriously obsessed with Class 1-A, and in an unhealthy way too.” Kendo replies.

“The sixth match will pin: Shouto Todoroki vs Denki Kaminari!”

“Oh man, I’m facing Todoroki?! I hope this works in my favor!” Kaminari says. Todoroki does not reply.

“The seventh match will be: Kyoka Jiro vs Momo Yaoyorozu!”

“Well well well, pin me against my best friend in my first match? This will be fun!” Jiro says with a competitive smirk.

“Awww Jiro, that means a lot to me!” Yaoyorozu before having her own smirk, “But flattery will not save you, I will go all out.”

So, everyone has been selected huh besides me and….wait….no way!

_“You were never chosen but neither was…”_

“The eighth, and final, first round match will be: Mei Hatsume vs Izuku Midoriya!”

“WHAT?!” Both Midoriya and I yell out as we lock eyes. I’m fighting Midoriya already?!

Midoriya and I stare at one another. This was an unexpected twist of events. I knew there was a possibility that I will face Midoriya first, but I never expected it to happen! We kept our gaze on as I look into those green eyes of his. Those...large, circular, soft, adorable, beautiful dark green eyes of his on his rather dashing face of his. Midoriya breaks our stare-off as he gives me a smile, “Hatsume!”

I shake my head, “Y-yeah?”

“I will not hold back, and I hope you won’t either!” Midoriya says with that cheerful expression of his.

“I won’t!” I reply as he turns around and walks away.

“That’s another way to get his awareness,” Mina says with a teasing tone of voice.

I turn to Mina with a hot face, “Mina I swear to god I will punch you!” I bark at her.

“No, you woooooooon’t~!” Mina snickers before walking away.

I sign and walk back to the tunnels to head towards the locker rooms with Midoriya on my mind. I hope our match doesn’t hurt our friendship. I’m sorry Midoriya. I have something to prove and I need to beat you in order to achieve that, but I just wish I didn’t need to go through you in order to do it.

* * *

 

First Round:

Kirishima vs Iida

Mina vs Uraraka

 

Bakugo vs Sero

Tokoyami vs Shiozaki

 

Kendo vs Monoma

Todoroki vs Kaminari

 

Jiro vs Yaoyorozu

Midoriya vs Hatsume

* * *

 

I was sitting in my area with the rest of my support class classmates as we were about to watch the first match commence. Kirishima vs Iida. A classic battle between power and speed. I wonder who will win this one. The middle of the arena was replaced with a big ring that covered a large aspect of the area that was made of cement thanks to one of our school staff members, Cementoss. He and Midnight were the referees of the matches, and the watchers in case matches get too out of hand so they may stop them.

“Both from the hero course, we have on one corner: Eijiro Kirishima!” Kirishima stepped up to ring with a confident smirk on his face. “And in the other corner, we have Tenya Iida!” Iida looked on with a determined look.

“Begin!” Midnight said as Iida wasted no time in rushing Kirishima with his engines. Iida went behind him and was going to try and push him out, but Kirishima countered by activating his Quirk, making him much heavier than he previously was before.

“Nice try, but that won’t work!” Kirishima said as swung at Iida, but missed as Iida moved back.

“I expected this from you!” Iida announced as he rushed Kirishima once more and kicked him square in the chest. Kirishima was stunned, but just for a moment. Kirishima managed to grab Iida’s leg and toss him towards the ring out, but Iida was able to regroup and quickly spin himself away from ring out. As he got up, Iida was about to get hit by Kirishima’s fist, but he dodged to the left just in time to avoid being punched out by his rock hard fist. “Your headstrong style will not win you this fight!” Iida said as he then pushed Kirishima towards the line, and out of the ring.

“Kirishima is out of bounds! Tenya Iida wins!” Midnight announces.

“Awww man…” Kirishima says as he looks up to see Iida’s hand.

“You did well, but you were also predictable. I suggest….strategy next time.” Iida said with a smile.

Kirishima smiled back and grabbed Iida’s hand as he was helped up, “Thanks. Good luck in the next fight.”

Iida and Kirishima bowed before heading towards their tunnels.

* * *

 

First Round:

Kirishima vs Iida (Winner: Iida)

Mina vs Uraraka

 

Bakugo vs Sero

Tokoyami vs Shiozaki

 

Kendo vs Monoma

Todoroki vs Kaminari

 

Jiro vs Yaoyorozu

Midoriya vs Hatsume

* * *

 

“Next match also contains two students from the hero course! We have Mina Ashido!” Mina, now in her PE uniform, was looking very determined to fight. “And her opponent, the one I am personally rooting for, Ochaco Uraraka!” Nice to know he has a favorite. Uraraka shares the same expression on her face as both fighters are about to square off.

“Begin!”

Uraraka wastes no time and charges at Mina with open hands. “Bad strategy Uraraka!” Mina says as he dodges to the left and pushes Uraraka to her feet. Mina then begins to slide as she uses the acid from her feet to ski around the ring. Mina throws acid near Uraraka but purposely misses to avoid hurting her friend.

Uraraka was quick to get up and watch Mina slide around the ring with her acid. Mina seems to be playing the distance game, so how is Uraraka going to win? Then again, if Mina doesn’t use any offense, how is she going to win?

Mina then throws acid at Uraraka while charging at her. Uraraka is busy avoiding the acid to not react to Mina closing on her as she pushes her closer towards the ring out line. Mina moves away, but not before covering a huge area with acid to hinder Uraraka’s mobility.

“This is interesting. Mina has trapped Uraraka like prey! Will Uraraka be able to respond to this?!”

Uraraka stands still and closes her eyes for a moment as if she is focusing on something. Mina takes this chance to rush Uraraka once more. Uraraka opens her eyes and is met with the same offense as she moves her body to not be hit by the acid.

“I got you now!” Mina yells out as she is about to push Uraraka out of bounds, but Uraraka suddenly jumps above her and stays in the air. Mina watches in shock as Uraraka stays in the air. Uraraka responds by flipping her body frontwards to fo a front flip and kicks Mina in the face, effectively hitting her out of bounds.

“Ring out! Uraraka wins!”

“Ow ow ow ow ow!” Mina wails as she rubs her face in pain.

“I’m sorry Mina!” Uraraka says as she lowers herself in front of her friend and checks on her friend.

“Don’t be Uraraka, it’s fine.” Mina signs but smiles, “You won fair and square.” Uraraka smiles before the two embraces in a quick hug and split off into their tunnels.

* * *

 

First Round:

Kirishima vs Iida (Winner: Iida)

Mina vs Uraraka (Winner: Uraraka)

 

Bakugo vs Sero

Tokoyami vs Shiozaki

 

Kendo vs Monoma

Todoroki vs Kaminari

 

Jiro vs Yaoyorozu

Midoriya vs Hatsume

* * *

 

“Begin!”

I was expecting Bakugo to rush Sero, but I was surprised when he stood still. Sero took the chance to extend tapes from his elbows towards Bakugo to wrap him up, but it failed due to Bakugo grabbing them and pulling the tape towards him. Sero reacted fast by ripping the tape off before he was forced towards Bakugo. Sero then tried again, but with one elbow instead of two. Bakugo once again grabbed it, but instead of letting it go like the previous two, he held onto it when Sero ripped it off. Sero was a bit surprised when Bakugo charged at him, but regain control of himself by trying to go for a close offense. Sero went for a jab, but Bakugo quickly blew him away with his explosions. With Sero stunned from the explosion, Bakugo proceeded to wrap the tape Sero’s arms together behind his back.

Sero tried to escape the grasp but was not quick enough when Bakugo threw him out of the ring.

“Ring Out! Bakugo wins!”

“Hmph.” Bakugo simply growled as he walked away while Sero got up.

“Geez….I couldn’t even lay a hand on him…” Sero said as Midnight freed his arms and he walked out.

* * *

 

First Round:

Kirishima vs Iida (Winner: Iida)

Mina vs Uraraka (Winner: Uraraka)

 

Bakugo vs Sero (Winner: Bakugo)

Tokoyami vs Shiozaki

 

Kendo vs Monoma

Todoroki vs Kaminari

 

Jiro vs Yaoyorozu

Midoriya vs Hatsume

* * *

 

“This one is different!” Present Mic said, “Both are from the hero courses but in separate classrooms! In one corner we have from Class 1-A,  Fumikage Tokoyami!” Tokoyami stood still with his expression being as serious as ever. “And in the other corner, from Class 1-B, it is Ibarra Shiozaki!” Ibarra held the opposite expression. Hers was not serious, but rather a calm and collected demeanor. Unlike the previous fights, I think this one will last a while. It is light vs darkness after all.

“Begin!”

“Dark Shadow attack!” Tokoyami quickly yelled out. Dark Shadow emerged from Tokoyami’s body and quickly made its way towards Shiozaki. Shiozaki did not move as her vines were faster and shielded her from the incoming tackle.

Dark Shadow slammed against the wall of vines. The vines wasted little time and began to wrap themselves around Dark Shadow. “Your dark nature strikes my curiosity. Why are you against the light?” Shiozaki asked as some of her vines then went after Tokoyami.

Tokoyami dodged them, but his movements were stiff and slow. I can already that he relies too much on Dark Shadow that his physical body makes him an easy target. “It hurts us,” Tokoyami replied to Shiozaki while dodging what he could, “Dark Shadow, I need assistance!”

“Okay!” Dark Shadow replied. It quickly turned into a gaseous form before traveling back to Tokoyami and slicing through the vines that were attacking him. “This lady hurts me, to be honest…” Dark Shadow mumbled.

“She is some sort of religious believer it would seem,” Tokoyami stated, “Though we are not devil worshippers, more preferably we are goths, she is our opposite.”

“I sense your sins Tokoyami. I hope you know it is not too late to turn around.” Shiozaki said while the two had a standstill.

“Do not pretend to know me, angel. You have no knowledge of my past, let alone my misdeeds.” Tokoyami defended himself as Dark Shadow hovered in front of him.

Shiozaki huffed, “Then I hope the lord shows mercy on you.”

Tokoyami looked offended and outraged, “You dare say that to me?! You already assume I will be thrown into the depths of hell simply for my way of living! You have a lot of nerve!” Tokoyami roared as Dark Shadow’s form seemed to be more erratic now. Is his anger fueling Dark Shadow somehow? “Dark Shadow,” Tokoyami began, “This is personal now. Destroy her!”

Dark Shadow let out a terrifying screech as it charged at Shiozaki. Shiozaki’s vines defended her from Dark Shadow’s rage, but they were quickly reduced to shreds as Dark Shadow sliced right through them. Shiozaki was shocked for a moment but was able to get out of the way of Dark Shadow’s strikes before they reached her. Shiozaki sent a few vines at Dark Shadow’s arms to apprehend them, but to no avail, as Dark Shadow overpowered them quickly.

“Hnnng!” Shiozaki was struggling to keep up with Dark Shadow’s onslaught. It looked as though she was panicking, but not regretful of what she said to Tokoyami. “I will not lose to one a heathen!” Shiozaki boldly claim before many vines began to sprout from her scalp, “Crucifixion!”

_“WOAH!”_ _Tony yells into my ear_ , _“That seems too much!”_

“I agree. That is not the right word to use, especially on live TV…” I mumbled as I ponder about Shiozaki’s character. I look towards Midnight and Cementoss and question them too as to why they’ve allowed the personal attacks to continue this far.

The vines quickly make their way towards Dark Shadow and Tokoyami. Both user and quick watch the vines come closer to them without moving an inch. Tokoyami takes a quick breath before opening his beak, “Dark Shadow,” Tokoyami says, “Rip and Tear.”

“With pleasure.” Dark Shadow growls as his claws extend to a point where they rival Kendo’s giant fists. As the vines are within striking distance, Dark Shadow swings his massive claws and literally tears through the vines as you hear the ripping sounds ever so clearly.

Shiozaki stumbles back a bit with a somewhat terrifying expression but does not completely falter. “I will win this fight whether or not I still have any vines left by the next round!” Shiozaki announces as the last of her vines come together. Her hair is now a complete mess as you can see the ripped parts of her vines and some of her scalp.

This match is truly grand but ruined due to Shiozaki attacking Tokoyami’s character.

“Say what you will, but you will not best me today.” Tokoyami declared. Dark Shadow was getting ready for one final attack, and so was Shiozaki with her vines forming together to form some sort of weapon that resembled a spear. Both fighters stood their ground for one final battle to decide who will advance, and who will be eliminated. “I was anticipating to have a fair match against you, Shiozaki; but I was not expecting to be condemned. Would the lord approve of your actions; would he call them a bit… ‘radical’?” Tokoyami challenged Shiozaki’s efforts.

Shiozaki shook her head, “I have overstepped my boundaries, I will admit. It is not my place to pass judgment on those who I do not know. I apologize.” Shiozaki then squinted her eyes, but they had a softness to them, “However; I do not take back what I said about it not being too late for you. I do see your regret because, I too, have many regrets I hold and not allow myself to relinquish despite the lord pardoning me.” Shiozaki looked him in the eyes, “Tokoyami, will you allow yourself to be consumed by darkness, or will you allow some happiness into your life and set yourself free from the grasps of the devil?”

“Enough with the holy speech.” Tokoyami demanded, “I grow weary of it.”

“...Fair enough. Let us end this.”

Shiozaki and Tokoyami got into stances before they sent their final assaults. The vines were heading directly at Dark Shadow and Dark Shadow was about to slice through them but was surprised to the vines spread out in different directions. They were so far apart that Dark Shadow was not able to reach them all at once. Most of them were attacking Dark Shadow from various directions while a few aimed directly at Tokoyami. Dark Shadow ignored the vines attacking him and went over to Tokoyami to protect him. As he was doing this, one stray vine was speeding towards Dark Shadow. Instead of wrapping itself around, it pierced through Dark Shadow. Dark Shadow let out a cry of pain as Tokoyami looked on in shock, and before he knew it, the vine gripped him around his waist and pushed him outside of the ring.

“Ring out! Ibarra Shiozaki wins!”

The crowd let out a loud roar of approval for the fight was spectacular, despite its cruel beginning.

The vine gently released its hold on Tokoyami as Dark Shadow slowly floated over towards its user.

“I’m sorry…” Dark Shadow apologized with regret and its head low.

“Don’t be.” Tokoyami said, “We were outmatched.” Tokoyami said as he got up. “Though we did win one battle.” Tokoyami slightly smiled, “We won the battle of character as we kept to our essence when it was under fire. I am proud that battle instead of this one because we can always win next year, whereas if we lost our individuality, we would never get another chance to redeem ourselves.” Dark Shadow looked up and nodded its head before disappearing into Tokoyami. Without another word, Tokoyami bowed before leaving into his tunnel.

Shiozaki watched Tokoyami enter his tunnel. “I must find a way to make it up to him. I was out of line. I was being…..‘radical.’” Shiozaki admitted to herself with much disappointment as she walked to her tunnel.

* * *

 

First Round:

Kirishima vs Iida (Winner: Iida)

Mina vs Uraraka (Winner: Uraraka)

 

Bakugo vs Sero (Winner: Bakugo)

Tokoyami vs Shiozaki (Winner: Shiozaki)

 

Kendo vs Monoma

Todoroki vs Kaminari

 

Jiro vs Yaoyorozu

Midoriya vs Hatsume

* * *

 

“The previous match was spectacular! I wonder if this one can live up to the hype?! We shall see!” Present Mic said. “Both are from the hero course, but part of Class 1-B! On the left, it is Itsuka Kendo!” Kendo stood with a smile that reigned confidence. “And her opponent, the Class Vice President, Neito Monoma!” Monoma had his hands in his pockets with a smirk, but it wasn’t smug, it spelled conviction too.

“Begin!”

“Say, Kendo,” Monoma spoke up before the two made a move, “May the best one win.”

Kendo smiled a little, “Alright. Don’t hold back though.”

“I won-” Monoma did not finish the last word as Kendo quickly enlarged her fist and swung at Monoma, knocking him out of the ring instantly.

“Sorry, you were wide open,” Kendo said a light flush and embarrassed look.

“Monoma is out! Kendo wins!”

Monoma looked at Kendo for a moment before chuckling to himself, “I guess I let my guard down. You say an opportunity and you took it, good choice.” Monoma praised Kendo while getting onto his feet. Both contenders walked to their tunnels.

“That was the opposite of what I was saying a minute ago.” Present Mic said with boredom, “Moving on!”

* * *

 

First Round:

Kirishima vs Iida (Winner: Iida)

Mina vs Uraraka (Winner: Uraraka)

 

Bakugo vs Sero (Winner: Bakugo)

Tokoyami vs Shiozaki (Winner: Shiozaki)

 

Kendo vs Monoma (Winner: Kendo)

Todoroki vs Kaminari

 

Jiro vs Yaoyorozu

Midoriya vs Hatsume

* * *

 

Before Present Mic introduced the two, I looked at Todoroki and saw a sight that did not look at all sane. Todoroki looked like as if he wanted to murder someone. His eyes were maniacal, his mouth seethed with rage, his body language spoke volumes of pent up frustration, his hands tightened that I thought blood will spill from them soon. Overall, Todoroki looked ready to kill Kaminari.

“From the hero courses, we have the son of the Endeavor: Shouto Todoroki!” Todoroki did not move an inch as he tried to hide his expression behind his short red and white hair. “And his opponent, Denki Kaminari!” Kaminari looked at Todoroki with absolute fear. I don’t blame him, I would be afraid too if someone gave me that look. I shivered as I was reminded of Carnage.

“Begin!”

The match was a record defeat. Kaminari did not even move a muscle as Todoroki unleashed a massive ice attack that not only froze Kaminari in place, but the iceberg itself engulfed a large chunk of the area and was taller than it itself. Luckily, none of the crowd, nor commentators, were frozen. It was silent for a moment as everyone was staring at the raw power of the number two pro heroes son.

“That….that is gigantic...” I say as the ice is literally in my face.

_“That...that is powerful.” Tony said with an impressed voice, “And to think that he is still green. This kid will definitely be one of the best if he is trained properly.”_

“Uh…..” Present Mic has no idea what to say, “I’ve been informed that Kaminari has given up…..not like he had a choice. We’ll take a break to let the ice melt.”

I get up from my seat and walk away from the ice as my body shakes from the cold. “I am so glad I have that heater in my suit.”

_“I’d be disappointed if you haven’t thought of that,”_ Tony remarks.

I snicker at his comment and make my way backstage for an uneventful break.

* * *

 

First Round:

Kirishima vs Iida (Winner: Iida)

Mina vs Uraraka (Winner: Uraraka)

 

Bakugo vs Sero (Winner: Bakugo)

Tokoyami vs Shiozaki (Winner: Shiozaki)

 

Kendo vs Monoma (Winner: Kendo)

Todoroki vs Kaminari (Winner: Todoroki)

 

Jiro vs Yaoyorozu

Midoriya vs Hatsume

* * *

 

Everyone was back in their seats after ten minutes. It took seven minutes to help the ice thanks to Endeavor and Todoroki melting the ice, and three minutes to clean it up as a pro-hero dubbed The Water Bender: Katara helped move the water out of the arena.

“Now that everything's back to normal, let’s resume the sports festival!” Present Mic yelled into the mic as the crowd cheered on. “Both are, yet again, from the hero course! In one spot, we have the vice president, Momo Yaoyorozu!” Yaoyorozu’s face looked calm, but if you paid attention, you could see it was just a facade; most likely she was nervous. “And on the other side, we have Kyoka Jiro!” Jiro had her hands together as she cracked them. Her expression was contrasting Yaoyorozu’s look.

“Begin!”

Yaoyorozu moved to the left to dodge Jiro’s incoming earplugs. “Darn it! I need to concentrate!” Yaoyorozu said as she kept avoiding the earplugs.

“Having trouble, Yaoyorozu?” Jiro slightly teased. Yaoyorozu grunted as her forearm glowed purple and a shield was created from her arm. Jiro withdrew her earplugs in time as Yaoyorozu swung the shield to hit the earplugs, which I assume would hurt Jiro immensely.

“Not anymore,” Yaoyorozu responded while regaining her composure. Jiro stood still for a moment before running towards Yaoyorozu, catching the vice president off-guard for a moment. Jiro sent her earplugs after her legs, but Yaoyorozu’s athletic abilities were too fast as she quickly jumped to the side and made a small kendo stick to act as her offense.

Jiro reeled her earplugs back in and stared at Yaoyorozu, “Great. My window of opportunity closed to end this quickly,” Jiro complained lightly, but laughed a little, “Though I would be disappointed if I did succeed.” Jiro admitted.

Yaoyorozu rushed Jiro with her kendo stick ready to strike. Jiro defended herself by launching one earplug directly at the kendo stick with the other one going for the arm with the shield. Yaoyorozu blocked the strikes with her kendo stick, but her shielded arm was wrapped up. Before Yaoyorozu could do anything, Jiro stabbed her arm and Yaoyorozu’s body shook violently.

“Gotcha!” Jiro said with some pride. Yaoyorozu’s body looked paralyzed as she was not moving an inch. Jiro walked towards her and grabbed her the arm. “Sorry, Momo.” Jiro picked up Yaoyorozu while keeping her earplug inside her arm. As Jiro was drawing nearer to the ring-out line, Yaoyorozu began to show signs of life as her head was slightly moving. Yaoyorozu’s other arm then began to move as well as her legs. Jiro quickly stopped her actions and gained distance from her rival in surprise.

“A…” Yaoyorozu then grabbed the earplug and pulled it out of her body, “Apology accepted, but I’m not going out like that!” Yaoyorozu announced before she grabbed her shirt and, much to everyone’s surprise, ripped it open to reveal her bra.

_“I can already hear the camera shots.”_ Tony said as I sensed his eyes rolling, “ _Shouldn’t you be backstage?”_

“No. I wanna watch my friend’s match.” I answered back.

Jiro watched in dismay as Yaoyorozu created a pair of sunglasses and put them on before many small matryoshka dolls shot out of her exposed body as they suddenly exploded with blinding light. Jiro covered her eyes to block the flashbang. Yaoyorozu capitalized on this by running up to Jiro and bashing her shield against Jiro’s chest, but Yaoyorozu did not let up as she then used all of her might to left Jiro off the ground with the shield and push her out of bounds.

“Ring-out! Yaoyorozu wins!”

As soon as I saw the results, I got up and left knowing my match was next. I still can't believe I am up against Midoriya.

* * *

 

First Round:

Kirishima vs Iida (Winner: Iida)

Mina vs Uraraka (Winner: Uraraka)

 

Bakugo vs Sero (Winner: Bakugo)

Tokoyami vs Shiozaki (Winner: Shiozaki)

 

Kendo vs Monoma (Winner: Kendo)

Todoroki vs Kaminari (Winner: Todoroki)

 

Jiro vs Yaoyorozu (Winner: Yaoyorozu)

Midoriya vs Hatsume

* * *

 

I made my way to my locker room and grabbed a few items to take with me, including the nanites that will suit up Version I.

_“How are you feeling?”_ Tony asked me.

“Nervous, but also excitement.” I say with as I look over one of my babies, “I still can not shake the feeling that I am facing Midoriya in my first match though.” I sign at the thought of this. When Midoriya and I talked about the sports festival, I could see the fire in his eyes about him winning the whole thing. I do not mean to discredit everyone else who wanted to win, but his fire was the brightest I have seen from anyone else. To think that I could the person to suddenly put it out does not make me feel good. God how I wish it wasn’t you, Midoriya.

_“I can tell your feeling guilty about winning.”_ He really can read me like a book, _“And let me just say that I understand your feeling from a different perspective. It is like when I was about being right, but for the wrong reasons. It just doesn’t feel good at all, and you hate to be the one to ruin everything someone fought so hard for; but between you and them, in the end, this fight can only benefit one person, and that is you. If you want to be a hero, you need to be able to do things you will regret doing, and I think this is just a baby step towards that.”_ Tony knew better, of course, he has been a hero his whole life and understands my feelings.

“I know, Tony,” I say as I make my way towards the door, “I just hope he can forgive me when I beat him.” I then walk out of the room and make my way towards my tunnel.

_“He will. He is a good kid.”_ Tony chuckles for a moment, _“But if he can’t…”_ Tony’s voice grows dim, _“Then you should avoid him.”_

I nod my head as I hear I see a light that tells me to walk out to the tunnel.

* * *

 

“Ladies and Gentlemen! The final round of the opening stages is about to commence!” Present Mic announced with the crowd cheering for us. “In the right corner, we have the show stealer from the last two matches! It is Izuku Midoriya from the hero course!” I look once more at Midoriya and I am met with the same expression as nearly everyone else: Confidence. “And from the left corner, the only student who is not from a hero course, but rather from the support class! Here she is, Mei Hatsume!” I feel shivers creep up my spine as I hear the crowd roaring for my name.

“Hatsume!” Midoriya calls out to me.

“Yeah?” I tilt my head.

Midoriya then gives me that ever so soft, kind smile of his, “No matter the outcome, no hard feelings?”

I smile and nod my head, “No hard feelings.” I get ready as I see Midoriya get into a fighting pose.

Little did I know how much of an impact this will have on me as a hero, and my relationship with Midoriya.

“Begin!”

* * *

 

**Next Chapter:**

**Hatsume: You vs Me? Bring it on, pretty boy!**

**Deku: W-w-w-wait! Do you think I’m a pretty boy?!** ****

**Hatsume: Wide open!**

**Deku: Oh geez that was close!**

**Hatsume: I worked too hard to lose here, I will not let you defeat me!**

**Deku: I can relate!**

**Tony: These two are really the next big duo.**

**All Might: You said it, Stark!**

**Hatsume: All Might…We need to ‘talk.’**

**Hatsume and Deku: Next time on ‘Iron Maiden!’ It is time for the moment you all been waiting for! The Iron Maiden debuts! Hatsume confronts All Might about her rejection letter!**

**We can’t wait for the next chapter! See you there!**


	10. Iron Maiden

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is longer than the last chapter! Okay, new trend for ‘Iron Maiden’. When a major event is happening, the chapters will be longer. Okay? Okay!
> 
> By the way, this had two endings. One is the real deal, and the other is an alternative ending. The alternative ending will be at the very bottom after the preview of the next chapter. Go read it if you wish.

“No matter the outcome, no hard feelings?”

“No hard feelings.”

“Begin!”

I quickly whipped out my pistol and began to fire it at Midoriya. Midoriya dodged them all as he started running to his left. I ran with him as I kept firing, but he was too agile for me to land a hit on him. “Damn he is fast,” I say as I change my aim and fire a few feet in front of him. I almost catch him off guard, but it doesn’t work as he jumps to his right to avoid being hit and going out of bounds. I give up using the pistol and run towards him. Midoriya seems a bit frightened by my display of competitiveness. I guess he never thought I would be this aggressive already.

When I get close to Midoriya, I throw a left hook at him, but he counters by crossing his arm against mine and striking me in the face while I miss him. I stagger backward slightly and feel him grab my arm. I quickly break his hold and kick him square in the gut and follow up with another kick to his face. Midoriya yelps in pain as I do a spinning kick to his head, but he blocks it with his arm before flipping me backward. I swiftly put my hands behind me and use all my strength to push myself back up onto my feet and try to go for another punch, but I meet his fist with mine. We then lock hands and attempt to use our other fists at the same time only for them to end up in the same grasp. I pull our arms down so they are crossed as we look at each other.

“You’re pretty good,” I say with a smirk on my face.

”Same with you,” Midoriya replies as we break it off and jump back to gain distance.

The crowd cheers for us as we examine each other while walking back towards the center of the stage.

“WOW! WHAT A SPECTACLE! WHAT A FURY OF STRIKES AND COUNTERS BY BOTH OPPONENTS!” Present Mic says over the speakers, “WHO’S READY FOR ROUND TWO?! I SURE KNOW I AM!”

I pop my neck and press a button on my wrist, “Alright, let’s see you handle this.” A new baby I haven’t showcased yet reveals itself. My hands get wrapped up in metal nanites that increase my overall strength and speed of punches. I simply call them gauntlets.

“This is going to be a tough match.” Midoriya signed as I charged at him once more with my left fist reeling back. When I get close to him, I throw my fist but once Midoriya focuses on my strike, I pull back and use my other hand to clock him in the jaw. Midoriya is left stunned as I take advantage and hit him with an uppercut that takes him off his feet. As Midoriya is hanging in midair, I punch him straight in the chest and send him flying back.

I hear Midoriya groaning as he picks himself back up, _“I thought Tony said he has a Strength Enhancement Quirk.”_ I thought to myself, _“It doesn’t seem like Midoriya is using it. Is he holding back?”_ The mere thought of Midoriya holding back against me rubs me the wrong way. I want him to fight me at his best and not treat me like a second rate fighter!

“Hey! Midoriya!” I yell out to him, “Are you even taking this seriously?!”

Midoriya, while grabbing at his stomach, blinks at me in surprise, “O-Of course I am!”

“Really?!” I say and cross my arms over my chest, “Then why do I get the feeling you are holding back!” The expression Midoriya makes confirms my answer that he is holding back against me. Though I am a hypocrite because I haven’t busted out Version 1, I can’t help but feel agitated by this development, “How disappointing.” I say to myself as I run back to him once again.

Midoriya runs towards me with a limp as I pull my left arm back while he pulls his right arm. We swing at each other once we are close enough as our arms cross each other and miss their target. I feel Midoriya’s leg sweep from under as I fall onto my back. Midoriya is about to grab me, but I spin my legs to force him back as I get up. I pounce at Midoriya and tackle him to the ground, but he quickly turns me over so I am on the ground. I pull my legs into my stomach and kick him high into the sky while getting on my knees.

At that moment, I see Midoriya put his index finger together with his thumb as his other arm is holding it in place. It looks like as if he is about to-! “SMASH!” Midoriya yells out as he flicks his fingers. My arrowshot baby activates as I move out of the way quickly and see a powerful force of wind destroy the concrete I was laying on. I hear Midoriya yelling as if he is in pain while he flies higher into the sky. I take a deep breathe and study the massive crater left by that blast.

“Okay, I better avoid that,” At least I know Midoriya is fighting seriously now. I quickly place a mine on the floor as I start to devise a plan into my head.

When Midoriya touches down onto the ground, I pull out my pistol once more and switch it to rapid shot. I unload the gun at Midoriya, but he counters with another flick of his fingers. The arrowshot moves me out of harm's way as my rounds come flying back at me along with the smash. Every time Midoriya fires his ‘Smash’ attack, my arrowshot moves me. I noticed as we are moving around the ring that I am slightly quicker thanks to my arrowshot’s agility, but one small misstep and I am done for. I just need him to get a little closer.

Midoriya stops firing and moving as I look at him closely, and what I see leaves me in shock. All four of his fingers on his right hand are an ugly purple. The purple color you get when you break a bone or more. I almost want to ask Midoriya if he is okay, but that look of determination on his face tells me that he is. Midoriya is fighting through the pain in order to defeat me? I must have him on the ropes if he wants to keep me at a distance.

Midoriya stares at me intently and grips his broken fingers in pure resilience, “I didn’t think I would be pushed this far! Not that I ever doubted you, but I did not think I would have to resort to using all my fingers on my right hand!” Midoriya tells me as he aims his left hand at me.

I carefully drop a mine behind me and laugh a little, “I hope this works.” I mumble to myself as I lift up my goggles over my head and stare at Midoriya, “Midoriya.”

“Yeah?”

“Thank you.”

Midoriya’s guard drops as he looks at me with confusion, “Huh?”

“Thank you for taking me seriously. You have no idea how much that means to me.” I tell him and fire my pistol at him. Midoriya quickly realizes what is about to happen, but sees that the energy bullet is aiming under him. Midoriya looks under him and his eyes are wide in terror and dismay as he sees the mine I planted before under him. Midoriya quickly covers his face as the bullet strikes the mine as it explodes in his face. “It’s all or nothing!” I yell out as I step on the mine behind me. The force of the explosion sends me towards Midoriya at a speed to quick for him to react too as his arms are lowered. I retracted my left arm once more and placed all of my strength into this one punch, “Iron Fist!” I yell out as my fist connects with Midoriya’s face. The sheer amount of force behind my punch was so powerful that it caused Midoriya to be taken off his feet and reel backward until he is out of bounds.

“MIDORIYA IS OUT OF BOUNDS!” Midnight says as I am panting in the ring while the realization of my victory hits me, “HATSUME WINS!”

“WWWWWHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT?!?!?!?!?!?” Present Mic sounds as though as he is just as speechless as I am, “MEI HATSUME FROM THE SUPPORT CLASS HAS DEFEATED A STUDENT FROM THE HERO COURSE?! WHAT AN UPSET!”

The crowd roars in excitement and cheers for me as I stand up straight and look around. “I won…” I say to myself as a laugh escapes my mouth, “I WON!” I yell out and look to Midoriya as my adrenaline drops. I see Midoriya is sitting on the ground in silence as I run over to him. “Midoriya!”

Midoriya looks to me in silence as I kneel next to him. I can see the pain written all over his face, and I can’t help but feel my heart break just looking at him in despair. Midoriya knows he has been beaten and that this is the end of the road for him this year. “Midoriya…” I mumble as the crowd silences themselves and watches us.

Midoriya gets up on his own as I do too. Midoriya and I look at each for a moment before he gives me a pained smile, “No hard feelings. Congratulations.” Midoriya says as he grabs my arm with his good hand and raises my fist in the air with his bad hand pointing to me. The crowd erupts once more as I keep my gaze on Midoriya. I know it’s hurting him so much that he lost on the inside, but he looks genuinely happy that I won though. Midoriya catches onto my stare and looks at me, “Don’t worry about how I feel. I knew there was a chance I would lose against you, I could tell.” Midoriya says to me, “You had that determined look in your eyes. The kind of look you have when you are trying to prove something.”

I nod my head and smile at him in response. When Midoriya lowers my arm, I pull him into a quick tight hug as Midoriya hugs me back.

“Awwwww ain’t that special?” Present Mic teases as we break off the hug and walk back to our tunnels.

* * *

Round 1:

Kirishima vs Iida (Winner: Iida)

Mina vs Uraraka (Winner: Uraraka)

Bakugo vs Sero (Winner: Bakugo)

Tokoyami vs Shiozaki (Winner: Shiozaki)

Kendo vs Monoma (Winner: Kendo)

Todoroki vs Kaminari (Winner: Todoroki)

Jiro vs Yaoyorozu (Winner: Yaoyorozu)

Midoriya vs Hatsume (Winner: Hatsume)

* * *

When I walked to the back, I was met by Mina, Jiro, Hagakure, and Kirishima.

“Dude,” Mina shouted, “You beat Midoriya?!”

“Yeah.” I reply, “What about it?”

“What about it?!” Hagakure says, “How did you outsmart him?! He’s probably the best tactician in our class!”

I giggle nervously and rubbed the back of my head, “In all honesty, I just hoped for the best. I know how good he is, I am very lucky he never saw the mine under him.” I admit to them.

Kirishima grinned, “But hot damn was that match awesome to watch! You two were going at it like two warriors on the battlefield!”

“Yeah, it was a spectacle to watch.” Jiro agrees with a smile, “You really brought the fight to him, and now you are advancing to face Yaoyorozu.”

“That’s right!” Mina says with a gasp, “And she got it in through recommendations!”

“Oh, is that so?” I asked with slight concern, “Then she should be even tougher than most people here.”

Kirishima nodded his head, “Yeah, she is the smartest in our class and no one is at her level of intelligence.” Kirishima grinned, “But that doesn’t mean you can’t lose. I will be rooting for both of you since I can’t choose between my friends.”

I nod my head, “I understand.” I take in a breath, “Well, I better get prepared. Unlike the first rounds, there isn’t much time to prepare so if you excuse me, I have a tournament to win.” I say with confidence.

Mina blinks in my direction, “I can’t tell if that is confidence or cockiness. But either way, you go girl!” Mina pats me on the shoulder as her and the rest head back the way they came from. I start walking towards my locker room, but on the way there, I see Bakugo walking in my direction as his locker room is from where I came from.

We look at each other and come to a halt face-to-face. He eyes me with intensity and curiosity while I give him an unfaltering look.

We both stand in silence before Bakugo shatters the peace, “Don’t think just because you beat Deku that it makes you on my level. Deku couldn’t beat anyone if that quirk of his is just going to break him.” Bakugo says with his usual venomous tone.

“I’m not looking to be on your level,” I reply, “I’m aiming to be above you.”

Bakugo laughs in my face, “Yeah, sure.” He says before his laughter suddenly stops and he throws a quick hook past my face with an explosion coming from his hand, “You aren’t even worth the effort. If you somehow make it to the finals, I will gladly put you in your place. At the bottom of the deck with the rest of you weaker Quirk users.”

Oh, that struck a nerve. I seriously have no idea what this guys problem is, but I will not let some spoiled brat intimate me into submission. Despite how hard I want to break out Version I and kick his ass, I keep my cool and look him straight into his barbaric eyes, “And if I win the tournament? What will you do then?”

Bakugo huffs, “I don’t need to think on that. If it ain’t Ponytail who beats you, then it will be the half-half bastard. But even then, let’s say you get a fluke victory over him, then I will be the one to crush your dreams.” Bakugo then puts on a smug smirk, “And I will be more than glad to do it.”

I grab his hand and throw it back at him. I say nothing as I walk past him. In my mind, there is no way I will win against him in a war of words as he will not let up. The only way I will beat him is if I win the tournament and if I have to fight him at the end, then it will be a sweet victory.

When I get my locker room, I notice I am the only one it. It would make sense since no one in the support class even made it past the obstacle course aside from me. I sit on the bench and think back to what Bakugo told me about ‘putting me in my place.’

“That cocky son of…,” I mumble to myself before I notice a blue light appearing from my goggles and see Tony appear in front of me.

“Oh don’t get caught up on what the brat thinks.” Tony says with a shake of his head, “He thinks he is better than everyone else. I’ve seen the records, and I can understand why. No one has ever been able to beat him in fights growing up, he always came out on top.”

“I thought you said Midoriya beat him before?” I ask Tony with my head tilted.

“Well, technically he did, but not through battle. Midoriya simply outsmarted him to attain victory because he couldn’t compete with him in hand-to-hand combat.” Tony explains to me, “So, he is still undefeated in terms of battling.”

“Okay,” I reply with my fists clenching in anger, “But that doesn’t why he is a huge jackhole. You can be undefeated in fights, but that should make him an egomaniac, not a jerk to everyone around him.”

“That part of him has a lot to do with how the schools he’s been to have treated him.” Tony’s face twists into a furious expression, “The schools have kept these under wraps, but Bakugo has always been a bully to everyone, but since his Quirk was so amazing in the eyes of the teachers they never punished him for anything he did.”

“What did he do to his classmates?” I ask with an expressionless tone.

“I won’t tell you. I know you are angry, but I don’t want you to take it out on Yaoyorozu. She doesn’t deserve your rage.” Tony tells me much to my frustrations. “If you really want to know, ask Midoriya.” Great. The last guy who probably wants to talk about Bakugo’s past is the one person who I have to confront about it.

I shake my head slightly and look up to see a TV broadcasting at the Sports Festival. Might as well watch as I prep my babies for my fight with Yaoyorozu.

* * *

Round 2:

Iida vs Uraraka

Bakugo vs Shiozaki

Kendo vs Todoroki

Yaoyorozu vs Hatsume

* * *

“ONTO THE SECOND ROUND FOLKS!” Present Mic announced, “AND OH BOY DO WE HAVE QUITE A FEW MATCHUPS, BUT FIRST LET’S START WITH THE VICTORS OF THE FIRST TWO ROUNDS! IT IS TENYA IIDA ON THE LEFT AND OCHACO URARAKA ON THE RIGHT!”

Iida and Uraraka were staring at one another intently, yet their expressions also showed compassion.

“This was an unexpected development, Uraraka, though I am honored to be your opponent.” Iida acknowledged his opposition.

Uraraka smiled, “I feel the same way, Iida!” Uraraka said as both of them got into quick poses.

“Begin!”

Iida dashed towards Uraraka at lightning speed and went behind her, mimicking the same strategy he used against Kirishima in the previous round. Though instead of pushing Uraraka, he grabbed her by the waistband of her pants and ran towards the ring out. Smart strategy because Uraraka could easily reach behind her and make him float whereas this technique forces her arms to fling forward with the wind.

Before Iida could reach the line, I saw Uraraka barely able to touch his right jet booster with all of her fingers. Iida’s right leg suddenly shot upwards as he let go of Uraraka and Uraraka rolled for a bit but did not go out of bounds. Iida stopped his engines from running, but the damage was already done as he was sent flying into a wall and out of the ring.

“Iida is out of bounds! Uraraka is the winner!”

Huh. That was an astonishing turnabout.

Uraraka ran out of the ring while pressing her fingers together to release her gravity quirk on Iida. “Iida!” Uraraka cried to him as he was in a daze on the floor, “Are you okay?!”

“Yes, I am fine. Though my leg is hurting a lot.” Iida replied casually but then smiled, “You have bested me. I did not think you’ll be able to fight against the wind like that. Congratulations, Uraraka.” Uraraka smiled and helped Iida up, using her body as a crutch for him as they entered the tunnel together.

* * *

Round 2:

Iida vs Uraraka (Winner: Uraraka)

Bakugo vs Shiozaki

Kendo vs Todoroki

Yaoyorozu vs Hatsume

* * *

“NEXT UP WE HAVE CLASS 1-A VS CLASS 1-B! IT IS KATSUKI BAKUGO VS IBARA SHIOZAKI!”

Bakugo stared at Shiozaki with his typical angry glare as Shiozaki gave him the same look back. I could tell that Shiozaki was weakened from her last bout because her vines were not as green as before, in fact, they looked kinda yellowish on the TV. There was also the obvious giveaway that she had less hair on her head than before. Dark Shadow really cut off so much of her vines that Shiozaki is practically running on fumes at this point. Not a good condition to be against someone like Bakugo who is an intense fighter.

“Begin!”

Shiozaki used most of her vines to create a shield around to protect her from Bakugo’s blast with only two vines being used on offense. Bakugo did not waste haste charging at Shiozaki with his explosions acting as propellers. The vines did little to prevent Bakugo from advancing towards Shiozaki as he used both of his hands to incinerate them to ash with his explosions. When Bakugo got near to Shiozaki’s barrier, five more vines detached themselves and aimed for the explosive user. Bakugo jumped back and blasted two of them, but two of them managed to grab Bakugo’s arms and pin them against his back with the last one holding him by his waist.

Shiozaki exposed herself with the same scowl she had on before the match begun, “Though I was harsh on Tokoyami and Dark Shadow in my last battle, I have no doubts about you and your character. Just watching you and personally having to battle you tells me you are no kindred soul.”

“Oh spare me the religious talk…” Bakugo said as he suddenly grew a dangerous smile, “AND DIE!” Bakugo let out a massive explosion from his hands that caused the vines holding them back to wither away from the heat. Shiozaki backed up slightly and was about to send more vines at him, but Bakugo shut her down as he then put his hands forward and blasted Shiozaki on the head.

When the smoke cleared, Shiozaki was left with black hair. Her once green and luscious vines had died and decayed into corpses from Bakugo’s violent eruptions.

“Hmph.” Bakugo looked down at Shiozaki, who was still standing her ground without fear, “Why don’t you just give up now? You don’t stand a chance.”

Shiozaki’s expression worsens as she took a step forward, “I will never give up! As a proud priest once said, ‘Iscariot does not shirk when the enemy presents itself!’ And I will not falter against the likes of you!” Shiozaki courageously stated with clear intentions of not backing down.

Bakugo rolled his eyes, “Whatever.” Bakugo aimed his hands at Shiozaki and unmercifully fired a powerful blast from them that knocked Shiozaki out of the ring.

“Shiozaki is out! Bakugo wins!”

Bakugo snorted and did not bother to wait any longer and walked away.

Shiozaki got up on her feet and watched Bakugo leave with ire. “I do pray that you lose. You need a lesson in humility.” Shiozaki turns away and touches her head, “Do not worry my beautiful vines, I will heal you with the Lord's light.”

* * *

Round 2:

Iida vs Uraraka (Winner: Uraraka)

Bakugo vs Shiozaki (Winner: Bakugo)

Kendo vs Todoroki

Yaoyorozu vs Hatsume

* * *

“That was a rather unsettling battle.” Present Mic expressed his opinion on the previous fight, “Anyways, LET’S MOVE ON! IT IS ANOTHER CLASS 1-A VS CLASS 1-B MATCHUP! IN ONE CORNER, WE HAVE THE PRESIDENT OF CLASS 1-B, ITSUKA KENDO! AND IN THE OTHER CORNER, THE YOUNGEST SON OF ENDEAVOR, SHOUTO TODOROKI!”

Todoroki looks calmer than he was in the first round. I am glad to see that he is okay now, but I still worry for Kendo. We saw how powerful Todoroki can be in against Kaminari, he defeated him in record time and left the Sports Festival on hold because of his singular attack.

“Are you doing okay now?” Kendo asked Todoroki.

“What does it matter to you?” Todoroki questioned.

“Because I am not sure if they’ll appreciate it if you leave the Sports Festival on another break,” Kendo answered. Todoroki huffed in response.

“Begin!”

Todoroki quickly formed ice on the ground and had it quickly aiming for Kendo, but it was not a big iceberg this time, rather it was a linear layer of ice. Kendo inflated on her right hand and smashed the ice before it got to her feet. Using her gigantic hand as a shield, Kendo dashed towards Todoroki to try and get a big hit on it. Todoroki froze the ground under him and began to slide on the ice to increase his speed significantly.

Kendo stopped and watched as Todoroki began to shoot ice at Kendo in all directions while riding his ice slide. Kendo blocked all of the attacks, but the ice was getting to her as her hand was shivering and getting covered in frost. Kendo tried to strike at Todoroki but missed when he was able to dodge with ease. Kendo then deflated her hand and planted her left hand under her. When it inflated, she was above ground and away from the ice. Todoroki did not flinch however as his attacks on increased. Kendo knew that as long as Todoroki has the momentum, she will be in danger of losing so she has to figure out a way to stop his drive.

Kendo placed her legs on her massive hand and jumped off of it while at the same she shrunk her hand. Using her right hand now, Kendo punched the ground as the area around them shook. The vibration caused Todoroki to lose his balance slightly, and that was the opening Kendo needed. Kendo managed to land in front of Todoroki and used her already enlarged right hand to smack him out of the ring. Todoroki; however, was already prepared because he ducked under her blow and grabbed her leg. Using all of his power, Todoroki quickly froze Kendo’s leg but did not stop until her entire body, head, and arms included, were frozen in a thick layer of ice. Todoroki made sure to leave her face exposed so she could breathe.

“Kendo,” Midnight called out, “Do you wield?”

Kendo struggled greatly to break the ice, but she should not even mover her big hand, “No!” Kendo suddenly broke through the ice as her left hand grew in size and destroyed the ice around her. It left many, including Todoroki, stunned.

“WOW! THE FIGHT CONTINUES!”

Kendo smashed the rest of the ice away, but Kendo was shivering like a leaf on a windy day. Todoroki snapped out of his trance and fired off more ice in Kendo’s way. Kendo replied by using both of her hands as shields, but her speed was severely cut short. Her legs were shaking violently. Todoroki had a face of concern on him as he stopped using his ice quirk.

“I-I-I-I’m not d-d-d-d-one, y-y-yet!” Kendo spoke with an obvious stutter.

“No, give in.” Todoroki said, “If I keep going, you’ll catch hyperthermia or go into shock. I will not cause you to go into such a life-threatening state.” Todoroki stated.

Kendo looked at Todoroki with wonder. He did speak the truth because if Todoroki keeps going, Kendo will freeze. Kendo’s legs suddenly gave out as she was brought to her knees, “Okay!” Kendo’s voice sounded depressed behind the shakiness of it, “I-I-I wield.” Kendo announced as Midnight quickly made her way to the shivering girl.

“KENDO HAS GIVEN UP! TODOROKI WIN!” Present Mic says with some concern in his voice.

Midnight held up an ‘X’ sign with her arms, and that caused the stadium to go silent as well as me. That ‘X’ sign means that paramedics are needed immediately. Todoroki got next to Kendo and placed his left hand on Kendo’s body as steam suddenly emitted from her body. Kendo gasped and shook more, but relaxed when her body felt warmer.

“Thank you, Todoroki.” Kendo softly spoke as the paramedics arrived. They helped Kendo onto her legs and wrapped a thick warm blanket around her. Everyone watched as Kendo walked into the tunnel with her head lowered slightly. Todoroki did not stay long as he went into his tunnel too.

I took a deep breath and picked up my babies and made my way outside. It was my turn now.

* * *

Round 2:

Iida vs Uraraka (Winner: Uraraka)

Bakugo vs Shiozaki (Winner: Bakugo)

Kendo vs Todoroki (Winner: Todoroki)

Yaoyorozu vs Hatsume

* * *

“That last match had a rather sweet ending to it! Remember to never go overboard with your Quirks people, they can be dangerous and Todoroki is a prime example of knowing when to stop!” Present Mic announced with glee in his voice, “Now, onto the final battle of the second round! WE HAVE THE SURPRISING VICTOR FROM THE LAST ROUND! IT’S YA GIRL, MEI HATSUME!”

“‘It’s ya girl?’” I ask myself, “Who does he think I am? Guzma from Pokemon?”

“AND ON THE OTHER SIDE! WE HAVE MOMO YAOYOROZU!”

I eye Yaoyorozu carefully and see no weakness in her stature. I can already tell she is going to be a challenge.

“Begin!”

Instead of pulling out my pistol, I activate my now refurbished Hover Soles and get the air game going. Yaoyorozu created a shield and staff in her hands as she waits for me to charge at her. I click my tongue and grab one of my mines. I click a button on it that turns it into a time bomb and throw it at Yaoyorozu. Yaoyorozu, unexpectedly, runs towards it and grabs it before thrusting it back at me. Alarmed, I move out of the way as the mine explodes behind me, but that leaves me open as Yaoyorozu jumps into the air and tries to hit me with the staff. I quickly fly higher as the staff clicks against one of my soles. I look down at Yaoyorozu and see the staff coming right at me. Instinctively, I grab it, but suddenly now Yaoyorozu is coming at me. I use the staff and try to hit her with it, but Yaoyorozu puts her shield forward and blocks the hit.

“How are you flying?!” I ask her as I back away.

“Anti-Gravity Boots.” Yaoyorozu said and she had a pair on her feet, “Uraraka and I developed these a while ago.”

I am left impressed by this. “Well then, care for an air battle?” I smirk and keep the staff with me.

“Challenge accepted,” Yaoyorozu said and created another staff.

“WE’RE HAVING AN AIR FIGHT FOLKS!”

I swing the staff at Yaoyorozu’s side, but she blocks it with her staff and pushes it away from her. In the little seconds I use to recover the staff, Yaoyorozu hits her staff in my chest and pushes me backward. I gasp harshly as the blow hurt my ribs immensely.

“Oh, that is going to leave a bruise.” I painfully say and duck under another staff strike. I use my staff and aim for one of her boots, but Yaoyorozu easily picks up her legs and I swing under them. Yaoyorozu lifts up her staff and tries to hit me over my head, but I quickly pick up my staff and block it. We are fighting in a test of strength to see who can overpower who know. Thinking quickly, I put more thrusters into my boots as I fly higher and shatter the tension. Yaoyorozu flies back a bit in a stunned state, and I take advantage by throwing the staff at her hand. I hit her hand as she yells out in pain and lets go of her staff in the process. I make haste and charge at her and aim for another ‘Iron Fist’, but Yaoyorozu blocks my punch with her shield.

“GAH SON OF-!” I painfully cry out and pull my left hand towards me. Yaoyorozu then tries to hit me with her shield, but I do a spinning wheel kick and knock it out of her hands. Yaoyorozu grunts and rushes me in the air with a kick, but I counter with my knee. I spin my body and try for an airborne roundhouse kick. Yaoyorozu limbos under it, but I keep my momentum and use my other leg to connect with her side. Yaoyorozu holds onto her side in pain as I shake my now bruised hand.

“Ever watched Dragonball Z or Super?” I ask Yaoyorozu.

“I read it, why?” Yaoyorozu answered to my surprise.

“Well…” I shrug my shoulders, “I think we’re about to have that fight minus the ki.”

Yaoyorozu laughs lightly, “We are, aren’t we?”

I laugh as well, but quickly put up my guard we both charge at one another and begin to throw furies of strikes and kicks.

“THIS IS HIGHLY ENTERTAINING! THESE TWO GIRLS ROCK! KEEP SHOWING US WHAT YOU CAN DO!”

As we are battling it out, I see an opening as Yaoyorozu has no guard on her face for a moment. I use this chance to punch her square in the face. Yaoyorozu’s head reels back in a safe manner, but I do not let up as I then kick her side twice. Yaoyorozu winces as I finish off my little combo by giving her a double ax handle to her back. Yaoyorozu is sent flying towards the ground as I chase after her. Before Yaoyorozu hits the ground, she flips herself to where her hands hit the ground first. She quickly twirls her body onto the ground and back up with amazing acrobatics and kicks me in the face. I fly upwards while spinning out of control. I catch glimpses of Yaoyorozu flying in my direction as I barely manage to regain my stance. I put up my arm and catch Yaoyorozu’s punch with my forearm.

“That was amazing, I’ll give you that!” I laugh a little as I feel the adrenaline rushing through my veins. Yaoyorozu smirks at me and goes for a sharp hook with her other hand, but I catch it and send my knee straight into her chest. Yaoyorozu grunts in pain as I let go of her hand and kick her away. Yaoyorozu stops herself immediately as I then pull out my pistol and fire it at her. Yaoyorozu dodges the bullet and evades my other one. I then set my pistol to charge mode as I put it away and rush her once more.

I try to go for an overhead bicycle kick, but Yaoyorozu blocks it with her arms and forces me upward with her sheer strength. I am flipped back upward and narrowly dodge a kick from Yaoyorozu. I grab her leg and pull her towards me as I hit my fist into her chest. Yaoyorozu is not fazed, however, as she then kicks me on the side of my head with her other leg. I let go of her and Yaoyorozu takes the opportunity to fly up above me and suddenly shift her momentum downwards. Yaoyorozu tackles me as we aiming to hit the ground. In an act of survival, I headbutt Yaoyorozu with my goggles as she lets go of her grip and I spin her around so she ends up hitting the floor instead of me.

We cause a dust screen to appear from where we land as it quickly settles down. I look below me and see that Yaoyorozu is laying face first on the ground. I am left feeling uneasy as it was a long fall, and she may be extremely hurt. As I am about to call out to her, Yaoyorozu swiftly kicks my feet from under me as I fall to the ground. Yaoyorozu quickly summons water from the palm of her hand and shoots it at my hover soles to short circuit them. Yaoyorozu and I lay on the floor panting for a moment as we each get up feeling extremely exhausted. I throw a right hook at her, but Yaoyorozu blocks it and knees me in my stomach as I bend over in extreme pain. Yaoyorozu then lets go and holds me by my shirt.

“It’s over, Hatsume.” Yaoyorozu pants out, “Though...you are impressive I must say.”

“Thanks,” I mumble out as my left hand slowly creeps to my pistol, “But it's never over until it's over,” I tell her as I quickly pull up my overcharged pistol and blast her stomach with it. The impact of the blast sends Yaoyorozu twirling around in the air before she lands on the ground and slides out of bounds.

“Yaoyorozu is out of bounds! Hatsume wins!”

I get on one knee and pant heavily as the crowd erupts more.

“HOLY SWEET MOTHER OF ALL MIGHT! THAT WAS AN INCREDIBLE FIGHT BETWEEN HATSUME AND YAOYOROZU! LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, I THINK WE JUST WITNESSED AN AGELESS CLASSIC!”

I moan in distress as my entire body is killing me. I took too much damage in the fight, but my goodness was it fun. I look over to Yaoyorozu to see that she is struggling to get up. I forced myself up and walk over to her and offer my hand to her.

“Yaoyorozu…” I say with a wince, “Mina told me you got through recommendations, and I can see why.” I laugh a little as I say this. Yaoyorozu grabs my hand as I help her up. I look up to the taller girl as I clutch my right side with my left and release my grip on her hand.

“Hatsume,” Yaoyorozu speaks and laughs a little as well, “You fought with purpose and great enthusiasm. What are you fighting for?”

I smile and pat her on the shoulder, “You’ll see soon enough.”

Yaoyorozu then re-extends her hand out, “It was an honor to battle you, you should be proud.”

I shake Yaoyorozu’s hand, “You too. You deserve every bit of praise you get. You’ll be a great hero someday, I know it.”

Yaoyorozu gushes and smiles brightly as we end our handshake and bow to one another before heading back into our tunnels. I need to see Recovery Girl.

* * *

Round 2:

Iida vs Uraraka (Winner: Uraraka)

Bakugo vs Shiozaki (Winner: Bakugo)

Kendo vs Todoroki (Winner: Todoroki)

Yaoyorozu vs Hatsume (Winner: Hatsume)

* * *

I stumble into Recovery Girl’s office and see Yaoyorozu in there as well.

“Oh, hi again,” I say with a small laugh.

“Greetings,” Yaoyorozu replies with a smile.

“Oh do please come in deary.” That was the sound of a sweet short, elderly lady with grey hair that was netted into a bun with a large syringe acting as a hair clip. She wore a doctor's lab coat and a dress with a yellow and red vest-like designs on both sides, two yellow buttons, and a belt with a pink “R” buckle. She also wore pink boots and a topless helmet around the sides of her head with a purple-tinted visor joining it over her eyes. In addition, she walks with a cane designed like a syringe that she can also use for healing the injured.

“Thank you,” I say as I make my way to a chair. I grunt in pain as Yaoyorozu gets up and helps me sit down, “Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it,” Yaoyorozu replies and sits back down.

“I must say that what you both did was amazing, especially for some people with little experience with airborne combat.” Recovery Girl says as she walks to me with a smile, “You certainly are an interesting one, Hatsume. You are part of the support class, yet you have taken down two Class 1-A students, and Yaoyorozu is ranked number one in her class in terms of athleticism.” Recovery Girl tells while examining and healing my injuries. “Though I must say to be careful next time you throw someone to the ground. You are lucky she did not hit her head because that could have been alarming.”

I look at Yaoyorozu and rub the back of my head in guilt, “I’m sorry.”

Yaoyorozu nods her head, “It’s alright. We were in the heat of the moment.” We share a smile as I feel Recovery Girl press on my injured hand gently. I draw my hand back instinctively and hiss in pain.

“It’s broken.” Recovery Girl tells me, “Let me see it.” I hold out my hand and to my rather displeasure, Recovery Girl stretches out her lips and kisses my hand. My hand starts to heal quickly as I feel it getting better, but leaves it sore.

“It will feel sore for the rest of the day. In my prime, your hand should be feeling good as new, but I am old so my Quirk aged with me.” Recovery Girl says and looks at me, “Do not do anything stupid in your next two matches because then I will have a few choice words for you!”

I jump back a bit at the sudden aggression from the elderly lady as I nod my head, “Yes, ma’am!”

Recovery Girl then smiles, “Good, now, off you go.”

I nod my head and get up, but before I leave, I turn to Yaoyorozu, “Say, Yaoyorozu.”

“Yes?” Yaoyorozu looks to me.

“Do you know why Bakugo is the way he is?” I am aiming for a hail mary here, but I have to try.

Yaoyorozu shakes her head, “I do not know why he such a hostile person, but I do think Midoriya knows. You should try asking him, they seem to have a history with one another.”

I nod my head with slight disappointment, “Okay, and rest easy.” I say as I leave the room and back to the locker room. I am the second match in the semi-finals, and my opponent is the best fighter in Class 1-A according to Tony. I already caught the attention of everyone, but if I beat Todoroki, that will make three things happen. Firstly, heroes will recognize me as a legitimate option when it comes to choosing a person to let them intern at their agency, secondly, hopefully, make U.A look into my records and see that I applied for the hero course and rethink their decision about me, and thirdly, society may rethink their views about people with weaker quirks.

I clench my fist together in determination. I will not let this chance pass me by, not by a longshot.

Semi-Finals:

Uraraka vs Bakugo

Todoroki vs Hatsume

Once again, I am back in the locker room and working on my babies. The Hover Soles are out of commission because the circuits are completely fried, and I need my lab in order to fix them. I sign and see Tony appear in front of me once again.

“How are you holding up? That was quite a fight you and Yaoyorozu had.” Tony creates his own chair and sits down.

“Feeling a lot better, but also tired,” I inform Tony. I suddenly started to feel a bit drowsy after Recovery Girl healed me. Is that an effect of her Quirk?

“That makes sense,” Tony says, “Recovery Girls quirk heal injuries, but at the cost of your own stamina.” Tony then chuckles, “I guess all of that stamina training at Gunhead’s dojo really paid off because if this was the same Hatsume I met a month ago, you should be asleep by now.”

That would be bad if I was asleep now, especially when I am about to have the biggest fight of my life. “Have you always known Recovery Girl?”

“Uh, yeah. I’m old too you know?” Tony rolls his eyes, “She was my personal doctor, and she always chastised me about the stupid things I did.” Tony chuckles more as he recalls memories, “Oh good times.”

I laugh a little and touch my pistol before pulling my hand back, “Damn, it's overheated.” I say as I quickly grab it and place it next to me while burning my hand. I hiss in slight pain and shake my hand as I look at the pistol.

“It’s not going to work.” Tony tells me, “The barrel melted on the inside. If you try shooting it, the energy will be stuck and the gun will just become a time bomb.”

“That sounds fascinating,” I say as I look at the TV. “The match is about to start.”

I will not talk about this bout because what I saw next left me with mixed feelings. It was a beat down, a rather brutal one to say the least. Bakugo kept blasting Uraraka left and right, never letting up, but Uraraka heroically never gave up. She never stopped fighting until her body could no longer take the pain. She pulled out many tricks from her sleeve, but none were effective to take down Bakugo. She tried using her shirt as a decoy and on purposely kept getting blasted by Bakugo’s explosive quirk to touch many of the debris and use it as a weapon. When there was much debris above them, Uraraka released her hold on them as they fell straight to the ground, but Bakugo was not fazed. He lifted up one hand and fired a massive blast that completely decimated Uraraka’s plans. Once the plan had failed, Uraraka tried to strike once more but collapsed from exhaustion and the match ended.

How I feel about this battle is complicated. I can not be mad at Bakugo for doing what he did, I understood why never let up. He is fighting at his best, and nothing less. That is the type of attitude we are supposed to come into the Sports Festival and show off. Our absolute best. Yet, I feel upset that Bakugo was just brutal. He may have done his best, yes, but he did not have to be a brute and treat the poor girl like a ragdoll. I feel pride and sadness for Uraraka. Uraraka fought till the bitter end, the true action of what a hero does in any fight. But I feel sad because all of her efforts were futile to begin with. Bakugo’s guard never dropped, so Uraraka had no clean shot to tap him and make him float. Without any leverage, Uraraka was doomed to lose before the match even started.

Once the match ended, I immediately got up and walked towards my tunnel.

* * *

Semi-Finals:

Uraraka vs Bakugo (Winner: Bakugo)

Todoroki vs Hatsume

* * *

“That last match was….it was brutal ladies and gentlemen. Though Uraraka may have lost, she showed true strength by never giving up until she could no longer walk on her own two feet. That is true power, kids.” Present Mic said, “BUT THAT WAS BEFORE! THIS IS NOW! AND NOW WE HAVE THE ULTIMATE UNDERDOG OF U.A. HIGH SCHOOL COMING INTO BATTLE! I AM LOOKING ON SOCIAL MEDIA RIGHT NOW AND SHE IS CURRENTLY THE NUMBER ONE TRENDING PERSON NOT ONLY ALL OVER JAPAN, BUT ACROSS THE WORLD AS WELL!” Present Mic announces as I feel a bit faint from hearing that. I walk out of the tunnel to be met with the roar of the crowd. I have won their support, but can I win them over completely? Only time will tell. “FROM THE SUPPORT CLASS, SHE IS THE SHOW-STEALER OF THIS SPORTS FESTIVAL! IT NONE OTHER THAN THE CROWD FAVORITE, MEI HATSUME!” The show-stealer? They haven’t seen the real deal yet.

I walk to the stage and the adrenaline feeling I get does not go away, as a matter of fact, I feel as though it is increasing as each match passes. That sense of exhaustion I had previously is gone, and I can not help but notice that the world seems clearer too. Like I am more focused than I ever been in my life.

“AND HER RIVAL! THE NUMBER ONE STUDENT IN CLASS 1-A, THE SON OF ENDEAVOR, THE ICE KING! SHOUTO TODOROKI!” I get a sense of urgency when I see Todoroki take the stage across from me. I have to beat him no matter the cost. Luckily, I have one unused trick up my sleeve just for this occasion.

“Begin!”

Not a moment into the match and Todoroki already tries to freeze me in place. I jump into the air to avoid being frozen, but that leaves me wide open for another ice attack. Todoroki lifts his right hand and fires a massive wave of ice at me. I quickly pull out my pistol and pull the trigger before throwing it in front of me. The gun starts to glow brightly before exploding in midair and causing the ice to leave a gaping hole, but that does not stop it from swallowing me up.

“Aw crap!” I yell out as I am now encased in the ice, “Well this sucks.” I say as I put my goggles over my eyes and light them up so I can see. The walls are a shiny light blue color. I can barely hear Present Mic outside of these walls as he sounds muffled. They are probably thinking I have no chance of escaping. “Okay, let’s show some signs of life,” I say as I throw two mines at the wall. The mines attach themselves to the ice as they beep rapidly and explode. The mines leave an exit for me as I run out of it.

“SHE IS ALIVE!” Present Mic is clearly having the time of his life, “THIS GIRL HAS PREPARED FOR EVERYTHING, HASN’T SHE?!”

“It would appear so. It feels as though she did participate to promote her inventions, she is contending for a different reason.” That was a new voice alongside Present Mic. Did I just catch Class 1-A’s teacher, Mr. Aizawa’s attention? Oh boy, my chances are rising, now let’s make a statement.

“Ice huh?” I look back at the glacier Todoroki made and see that it does not reach the audience nor blocks their view whatsoever. Perfect, a full audience. “I can’t beat you.” I say as I look to Todoroki, “There is no way I can win against you.” I close my eyes and smile, “Not with my babies, and sure as hell not with my Quirk.”

Todoroki’s look does not change, but I know he is curious. “I know this is leading somewhere.” Todoroki says, “You did not fight your way to this point just to give up, did you?”

“No,” I reply, “I’m here to prove a point.”

Now Todoroki’s expression loses its manner. “What is your point then?”

“To prove that I am just as capable of being a hero as any of you in the hero course!” I shout out to the world, “I signed up for the hero course and was unceremoniously disqualified even though I ranked 13th place in the entrance exam! I did better than 70% of all you in the hero course, yet I find myself on the sidelines because I have weaker quirk?” I can hear the crowd murmuring amongst themselves, no doubt about what I said about being in the top fifteen in the entrance exam, “Well I’m here to prove something to the world.” I say as I stand up straight and stretch my arms out as I feel the nanites crawl around my back, “I’m here to show why you never doubt a person with a weaker quirk.”

 _“It’s ready,”_ Tony says to me as a screeching sound emits from the speakers before it is replaced the sound of a guitar.

_“I left alone my mind was blank_

_I needed time to think to get the memories from my mind_

As soon as the lyrics started to play, the nanites on my goggles started to surround my body. I looked up to the MC’s corner and see that Present Mic was panicking for a moment, but his focus quickly changed to me as everyone in the crowd went silent and watched me.

_“What did I see can I believe that what I saw_

_That night was real and not just fantasy”_

The nanites completely surrounded me as they were silver at first, but glowed. The suit was not alive yet, but I could feel it turning on.

_Just what I saw_

_In my old dreams were they reflections of my warped mind staring back at me_

The magenta and navy blue colors started coming to life as the Version I was nearing its dramatic finish. I looked towards Mina and Midoriya and saw their shocked faces. I can’t help but smirk as I then look back at Todoroki’s equally stunned face.

_'Cause in my dreams_

_It's always there_

_The evil face that twists my mind and brings me to despair_

_Yeah_

When the singer started to yell the last word, Version I lit up as I blasted off into the sky at intense speeds only seen by Tenya Iida today. The entire crowd took a gasp and watched me soar through the air.

“It can’t be…” Aizawa mumbled into his mic as his was still online.

_The night was black was no use holding back_

_'Cause I just had to see was someone watching me_

_In the mist dark figures move and twist_

_Was all this for real or some kind of hell_

_Six six six the number of the Beast_

_Hell and fire was spawned to be released_

**[Song: Number of the Beast - Iron Maiden]**

I stopped flying and fell straight to the ground to reenact the iconic ‘Iron Man landing.’ When I landed, the crowd exploded in a fury of shouts and yells and I could even hear many cursing their heads off at the debut of Version I.

I look up to Todoroki before I get on my feet and walk around in the suit, “Like the suit? I made it myself.”

“Y….you created….” Todoroki tried to form words, but he was too astonished even form the correct words.

“Yeah, I know,” I say with a smile as the music stops, “People of Japan and all around the world,” I talk into a personal microphone installed in my suit that already is bluetoothed to the speakers, “They said it was impossible, they said it couldn’t be done after he hid all of his blueprints. Many companies have tried to recreate it, but none have come close. Yet, here I stand, in the one suit nobody ever thought would return to the spotlight. Ladies and Gentlemen, I figured out how to rebuild Tony Stark’s legendary Iron Man suit.”

The crowd blew up even louder when I finished my speech and the MC’s regained control of their microphones.

“LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! I….I AM SPEECHLESS!” Present Mic shouted into his microphone, “I HAVE NO WORDS TO DESCRIBE HOW SHOCKED I AM! MEI HATSUME HAS JUST RE-DEBUTED THE MOST ICONIC HERO SUIT OF ALL TIME! THE LEGENDARY IRON MAN! MEI HATSUME, YOU HAVE CAUGHT THE WORLD’S ATTENTION!”

You’re damn right I did, Present Mic. I turn off the microphone on my suit and extend my left hand with my palm opened up at Todoroki, “So, ready for the real fight?”

Todoroki’s eyes blink as he then shakes his head and gets back into reality. His face twists into a competitive look as he gets into his pose, “I will still beat you even with your suit!”

I shoot a repulsor blast at Todoroki to begin my assault on him. Todoroki reacts by creating an ice shield in front of him, but my blast is powerful enough to shatter it to pieces. Todoroki steps back as I activate my thrusters and rush over to him. Todoroki tries to freeze me in place with his ice, but I smash right through and punch him straight in the jaw and sent him back. Right as Todoroki was about to be knocked out of the ring, he created an iceberg behind him to stop him from passing the line. Todoroki looks at me while panting as I keep myself airborne slightly above the ground.

“You won’t beat me if you use only half your power.” I say to Todoroki, “I know you have more than just that.”

“And how would you know?” Todoroki asks me suspiciously.

“I saw that little spark on your face when Midoriya nearly stole one of your bands.” I reply without spilling the literal truth, “You can conduct fire from your left side, but for some odd reason, you refuse to use it. I won’t pry into that, but if you think you will be a great hero by using half of your power, then you don’t stand a chance against someone like me who is using everything they have to win.” I say to him and land on my feet. Todoroki grimaces and looks away for a moment, but keeps his eyes on me. I do not know what is bothering him, but he seems to not like his Quirk. That is odd. I hate my quirk because of what it can’t do, yet it seems he despises his even though it can do something mine never will.

“Don’t talk to me like you understand me.” Todoroki coldly tells me as he suddenly summons a large iceberg and covers me completely in it.

“Well then,” I say as my suit begins to melt through the ice quickly. “Let’s end this.” The suit completely melts a hole through the ice as I step out. Todoroki doesn’t seem surprised to see that I escaped, but he does look irritated. Before he could summon another ice attack, I aim my wrist at him and fire my wrist taser at him. Todoroki begins to spazz out uncontrollably as I walk up to him and grab him by the back of his shirt before I toss him out of the ring. “Next time, use your fire. You might stand a chance next time.” I simply say as the taser wears out and Todoroki stops moving uncontrollably is limp. I scan him and see that he is fine. “Good.”

“Todoroki is out of bounds! Hatsume wins!”

The crowd goes berserk once more as my helmet disappears and I look around the audience. I smile brightly and take in the cheers from them. I finally won them over.

“HATSUME HAS BEATEN SHOUTO TODOROKI, AND DID SO IN COMPLETELY DOMINATE FASHION!” Present Mic yells out.

I look down to where Todoroki would be but see that he was already walking back to his tunnel. I feel like calling out to him, but I hold my breath and walk back to my tunnel. I do not understand why he acts the way he does, but Todoroki looks as though he needs help.

* * *

Semi-Finals:

Uraraka vs Bakugo (Winner: Bakugo)

Todoroki vs Hatsume (Winner: Hatsume)

* * *

I make it back to my locker room quickly and in peace as I lock the door to avoid anyone from busting in unannounced. I take a seat on the bench and wait for Tony to appear.

“Congrats kid,” Tony says as he appears once more in a chair, “You made it to the finals. The entrance was amazing, Pinky, but I personally think it lacked flamboyance.”

I roll my eyes and place a hand on my chin, “Of course you do. You’re a show-off, I don’t really care.”

“Yes you do,” Tony grinned at me, “If you did not care, you wouldn’t have done my landing.”

I sigh and chuckle, “Okay you got me. I do care, but I don’t know how to give it swagger.”

“You’ll pick it up as you go.” Tony says as he looks at the door, “You have some guests.”

“Bad or good?” I ask him.

“Depends. Are you ready to answer Midoriya’s billion questions?”

I really don’t want to, but I also don’t want to deny Midoriya either. God, I am soft for him.

I hear a slam on the door as if someone ran into it. I can’t help but giggle lightly and get up to open it. When I do open it, all I see is Midoriya on the floor rubbing his head. “You okay down there?”

Midoriya doesn’t even take a second to look at me because when I start speaking, he is instantly on his feet and checking out my suit from all sides. I can’t help but feel flattered by his actions.

Midoriya stops right in front of me and his utterly priceless. It is a pure mix of shock, interest, eagerness, amazement, and even fanboyism. ‘H-H-H-H-...” Midoriya stutters as I giggle slightly.

“My last name is Hatsume, Midoriya. That never changed.” I remind him of playfully.

“H-Hatsume…” Midoriya says as he examines me once more, “H-how...how did you…”

“How did I build this?” I finish his sentence and smile, “Because I am that dang intelligent.”

 _“The lies you are saying are unbelievable.”_ Tony jokingly says, _“Taking credit for my work. I should sue you for this.”_

Midoriya then touches my armor to see if it is real. When it hits him that this is no dream and my suit is real, Midoriya feels around me. I am now a blushing mess by this his actions as I do not know how to react to him touching me like this.

“Midoriya,” I say to him as he looks at me, “I’m still in it. You’re kinda….” Midoriya and I slowly look to see where his hands are and we see they are planted upon my breastplate. Our faces heat up instantly as Midoriya quickly pulls away and we both turn around with furious red on our cheeks. I can hear Tony laughing his butt off in my earpiece as Midoriya is sputtering out unrecognizable words for a moment before he catches his breath.

“Oh my gosh, I am so sorry Hatsume!” Midoriya says to me as I turn to him and see that he is bowing his head to me slightly with his hands in a pleading action, “I was caught in a trance and I started to touch you inappropriately and I am ashamed of it! Please forgive me!”

I smile lightly and nod my head, “I forgive you. I know how unreal this is.”

“It is unreal!” Midoriya can’t help himself but marvel at me as our blushes fade away. “I knew your hero was Iron Man, but I never thought you go and try to be like him, and even then, I never thought anyone would be able to recreate an Iron Man suit, and even out of nanite technology no less!”

I rub the back of my head and keep a smile plastered on my face, “When you put your heart towards something, sometimes you are able to achieve the impossible.” Midoriya nods his head in agreement, “Say, Midoriya. Where are the others?” I am surprised no one has swarmed me yet, but I could’ve sworn at least Mina would be here.

“Oh her and the others were behind me…” Midoriya says and looks behind him, “But I think I outran them because I wanted to see you so badly after your match.”

I giggle more and look down with my head shaking, “God you are so adorable.”

Midoriya turns to me, “What was that?”

“Nothing!” I reply with a small blush that dims quickly.

“MIDORIYA!” Both Midoriya and I look behind him to see Mina, Jiro, Hagakure, and Jiro running to us. When they stop, Mina gives Midoriya a punch on the shoulder, “YOU LEFT US BEHIND YOU JERK!”

Midoriya grabs at his shoulder and backs away from the pink alien, “I-I’m sorry!”

Mina rolls her eyes then immediately turns her attention to me, “Hatsume!” Mina gets in my face, “Why didn’t you tell us that you had this badass suit on you?!”

“Because I wanted to keep it a secret,” I bluntly say.

“Yeah!” Kirishima said with that default smile of his, “I would’ve liked to know that!”

“Well, it wouldn’t be much of a secret if I told you guys, especially with a certain gossiper over here.” I look at Mina as she sticks her tongue out at me in response.

“Still though!” Hagakure speaks, “It was amazing how you walked out of that iceberg and looked so confident!”

“How did you even get ‘Number of the Beast’ to play when you were suiting up?” Jiro questions.

I laugh nervously as I am trying to quickly think of an answer.

“Nevermind that!” Hagakure says, “When her suit was active, she was all like ‘whoosh!’ and ‘pew pew pew!’ and Todoroki was panicking! You had him panicking!” Hagakure practically screams, “I never seen him so distraught before!”

“Yeah!” Mina puts her hands on my shoulders, “You put him off his game! No one has been able to take him off his game, even during the USJ attack!”

“Mina!” Midoriya, uncharacteristically, yells at her, “We aren’t supposed to talk about that!”

Mina recoils slightly at the sudden yell from the green cinnamon roll, “R-right! Sorry.” Mina sheepishly smiles, “But still,” Mina shakes me violently, “YOU WERE SO COOL OUT THERE!”

I grab Mina’s arms and stop her from shaking me anymore. “Please stop shaking me!” I say with a laugh.

“You’re facing Bakugo next in finals! Man, I wonder how this fight will go down!” Kirishima was ecstatic. The body language he was presenting showed that he could not wait for the finals to happen.

“Yeah,” Jiro snickered, “That guy fights like if he is part of the Spartan army.”

Hagakure’s body bowed a bit as if she was agreeing considering her head is invisible, “No mercy, always on the attack, rage induced fighting, etc. The guy who beats you down and beats you down and never lets up.” Hagakure’s words make Kirishima chuckle with embarrassment.

I point my fingers to the girls, “Yeah contrary to belief, Sparta was more than just brute strength they were actually pretty civilized and intelligent people with a great culture.” I pull my finger back, “Anyways, Bakugo is a barbarian; a war machine you could say. The guy is superior on the field of battle, but so was Todoroki and you saw how fast I beat him.”

“Don’t doubt, Kacchan,” Midoriya speaks up, “The difference between Kachhan and Todoroki is that Todoroki is holding back. Kacchan never holds back. This is a different fighter all together. It wouldn’t be wise to look down on Kacchan simply because you defeated Todoroki, and if you do, Kacchan will make you pay. He hates being treated second-rate.”

“Midoriya is right though. Never doubt someone who may be lower than another person. You of all people should know that.” Jiro adds in.

“I know that,” I say with a huff, “I’m just saying that if I stood a chance against Todoroki, then I have a shot of beating him too.” I growl lowly and ball up a fist, “That guy has been treating me like trash since the Sports Festival started, he even said he’ll ‘put me in my place’ if I get past Todoroki.” I see everyone’s expression changed. Mina and Jiro look disgusted, Hagakure’s sleeves are on her hips, Kirishima looks disappointed, and Midoriya looks ashamed. “I can not wait to face him.”

“Well, you better win.” Mina says, “Because to be honest, he needs a lesson in humility. He treats everyone like trash because he knows he is better than most of us.” Mina signs, “Look, I don’t hate him or anything, I kinda like him, but he needs an attitude adjustment and I think you can pull that off.” Jiro and Hagakure hum in agreement.

“The guy is proud, and I admire that. Not mention he is strong and holds himself to a high standard.” Kirishima shakes his head, “But sometimes I wonder if he thinks too highly of himself. I’m kinda afraid one day his ego might get him killed or something.”

I nod my head and look to Midoriya. Midoriya doesn’t say anything but gives me eyes of sorrow, “Got nothing to say?” I ask.

“Nothing you wouldn't already know.” Midoriya replies, “Just…..just don’t ruin him.”

“I’m not focused on that.” I turn my body to Midoriya, “My goal against Bakugo is to show him that I’m not weak as wants me to believe. Bakugo truly wants to make me think I do not belong in his league. Well, I’m going to prove that I deserve to be in the same ring. But as for ruining him?” The bell rings and indicates that I must make my way to the tunnel now, “That’s on him. Only he can decide to adapt to a new foe that is equal to him, or he can falter and be pitiful and try to live in a fantasy where he believes he’s a king.” I walk past Midoriya and make my way towards the tunnel.

“Good luck!” I hear Mina and the others yell out.

“Hatsume!” I turn around and look at Midoriya. That sad look on his face was gone and replaced with that all too bright and contagious smile of his, “I’ve always believed in you. I hope you find what you’re looking for after the match.”

That damn smile of his. It’s making me smile as well. “Thanks. I really appreciate you having my back, Midoriya. You have no idea how much that means to me.” And with that, I turn back around and walk to the tunnel to face my final foe.

* * *

“LADIES AND GENTLEMEN OF JAPAN AND ALL ACROSS THE GLOBE! WE ARE IN THE FINALS NOW, AND BOY HAS IT BEEN A RIDE!” Present Mic hypes up the crowd as I stand in my tunnel waiting for the go, “WE’VE SEEN MANY NEW PROMISING YOUNG HEROES! MANY SURPRISES! MANY SHOCKING EVENTS! AND WE EVEN WITNESSED THE REBIRTH OF IRON MAN! BUT NOW, WE ARE AT THE END FOLKS, WE ARE AT THE FINALS AND DOES IT LOOK TIGHT!”

I’m told by an official behind me to go to the stage.

 _“Kid,”_ Tony speaks once more, _“Don’t mess this up.”_

I smirk a little and walk out to an overgrowing ovation from the crowd. I try my absolute best to not wave or show off my Version I as I think it will cause bad publicity on my end.

“ON THE WAY TO THE RING! SHE HAS STOLEN THE ENTIRE SPORTS FESTIVAL AND IS THE CROWD FAVORITE TO WIN THE TOURNAMENT! LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, BOYS AND GIRLS, CHILDREN OF ALL AGES, I PRESENT TO YOU! THE FIRST EVER SUPPORT CLASS STUDENT TO EVER MAKE IT TO THE FINALS, SHE HAS EVOLVED FROM THE SHOW-STEALER TO THE SHOWSTOPPER! SHE. IS. MEI HATSUME!!!!!!”

Damn, I never knew I would get such an entrance from Present Mic, but I love it. When I step onto the ring, I hear the crowd say something I only ever dreamed of.

“HAT! SU! ME!”

“HAT! SU! ME!”

“HAT! SU! ME!”

I could die happy right now. That’s it, I can’t hold it back. I place my life wrist into the air and let out a repulsor blast into the air and the crowd’s energy turns electrifying. I lower my hand and for my last rival to make his entrance.

“AND ON THE OPPOSING CORNER! HE HAS STATED BEFORE THE FESTIVAL STARTED THAT HE WILL WIN THE ENTIRE EVENT! CAN HE MAKE BIG ON HIS PROMISE RIGHT NOW?! HE IS KATSUKI BAKUGO!” When Bakugo steps into the ring, I can already see how furious he is. It’s like he resents the idea that I am in the same ring as him.

When Bakugo and I come face to face, he snarls at me, “I told you what will happen if you make it to the finals.” Bakugo grows an arrogant grin on his face, “With a junk suit or not, you’re still below me just like the rest of you hero class rejects!”

How self-centered is this guy? Seriously, how can someone be this smug and be in the hero course? I understand he has great power and is a viable threat against villains if he gets a hero license, but it seems like all he cares about is proving to everyone that he is better than them rather than focusing on the true values of a hero. At least he isn’t looking to be a villain at least.

I don’t have much to say, so I simply declare to him, “I will beat you.”

“You can try.”

“Begin!”

Bakugo and I both fire individual blasts from our hands as they collide and cancel out. I jump back while Bakugo swings a right hook at me. I grab his hand and twist it so he doesn’t blast my face. Bakugo grunts and uses his other hand to blast me in the stomach, but I am left unfazed. I let go of his hand and kick him away from me.

“Gah!” Bakugo holds onto his stomach while staying up from the kick. “Oh, you really did it now!” Bakugo quickly rushes me and puts both of his hands out in front of him and unleashes a rather big explosion. I take it to the face rather calmly.

“That won’t work,” I tell him through the smoke and walk through it. Bakugo snarls and starts to throw a barrage of explosions in my face. This actually does damage as the suit tells me it is taking damage. I put my arms in front of me and block the attacks.

“Use the Unibeam!” I shout to my suit. The center of my chest lights up, and this causes Bakugo to stop. Bakugo moves in time as the beam fires and hits a wall, leaving a burn mark on it. I turn to my left and catch Bakugo’s hand before he can blast with one of his explosions.

I give him a straight punch to the chest and lift him off the ground slightly. I don’t give him a second to recover and knee him in the chest as well which causes him to spit out saliva. “Oh great, and all over the suit too!” I joke around and receive a blast from his hand in return.

“Shut up!” He yells at me as I let him. Bakugo then places both of his hands at my chest and sets off a huge explosion. In the smokescreen, I watch him pant heavily and see that egotistical grin on his face.

I run out from the smoke and give him a hard uppercut to his chin. As Bakugo lifts off the ground, I grab him by his leg and slam him back into the ground.

I snicker at him, “Doesn’t feel good, doesn’t it?!”

Bakugo gets back up and growls loudly, “I said shut up!”

“I know you did, and I am failing badly at that,” I reply as it causes him to get angrier. Bakugo runs up to me and jumps over me.

“High-Velocity Impact activate.” High-Velocity Impact increases my suits overall capabilities by three-times, and also allows me to process thoughts by that same amount. I quickly turn around and roundhouse kick Bakugo in the air. This surprises the explosive-user as he can't dodge my sudden counter in time and takes the hit. Bakugo skids across the ground, but scarcely stops before he crosses the out-of-bounds line. “Oh hanging by a thread.” I chuckle lightly and watch Bakugo stand up with a crazed expression, “Had enough yet?”

“Don’t mock me!” Bakugo howls at me like a wounded animal.

“Oh, does that hurt?!” I say with bitterness, “Because I recall you mocking me for having a weaker Quirk all day today!” I criticize him and catch an incoming fist, “How does it feel to be lower than someone else?!”

“SHUT UP YOU BIT-” I harshly sock Bakugo across the face before he could even finish that sentence of his.

“I told you I will beat you,” I pick him up from his arm and knee his stomach before placing my hand on his chest, “And I will make sure of it!” I blast my repulsor ray in his stomach at half the power. I watch Bakugo fly towards the line. The blast was not enough to kill him, but enough to knock him out of the ring.

“Bakugo is out of bounds! The winner of the Sports Festival is Mei Hatsume!” Midnight announces for the final time. The crowd detonates with screams, and it so rambunctious that my screens tell me a 2.0 magnitude earthquake is happening right under me.

 _“KID! YOU DID IT!”_ Tony practically yells in my helmet as it disappears. I start to laugh from the realization of my victory.

“I won….I WON THE SPORTS FESTIVAL TONY!” I yell out and drop to my knees with tears of happiness “I WON! TONY I WON!”

 _“Yes you did, kid. Yes, you did.”_ Tony’s voice sounds proud, and I feel so moved to have made him proud.

“MEI HATSUME WINS! MEI HATSUME WINS!” Present Mic’s deafening yell screams into the mic, “THE ULTIMATE UNDERDOG WINS THE SPORTS FESTIVAL! LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HISTORY A STUDENT NOT FROM HERO COURSE REACHES THE SEMI-FINALS AND WINS! A STUDENT NOT FROM THE HERO COURSE GOES TO THE FINALS! THEN THAT SAME STUDENT WINS THE FINALS! MEI HATSUME HAS DONE IT! MEI HATSUME HAS SHOCKED THE WORLD!”

I get up from my knees and throw my hands into the air like nobody’s business, “YES! YES! YES!” I see a cameraman coming towards me as I run to him and grab it, “Mom! Dad! I won! I won the Sports Festival!” I scream into it and let go before running around the ring with pure adrenaline. I can’t help myself, I feel another song coming on!

_“I'll be the last one standing_

_Two hands in the air, I'm a champion_

_You'll be looking up at me when it's over_

_I live for the battle, I'm a soldier, yeah_

I know this song by heart. I always lived by what it said and I dreamt one day that I will live up to this song.

_I'm a fighter like Rocky_

_Put you flat on your back like Ali_

_Yeah, I'm the greatest, I'm stronger_

_Paid my dues, can't lose, Imma own ya, ay_

_I've been working my whole life_

_And now it's do or die_

I yell at the top of my lungs the incoming lyrics as the stadium starts to quiet down to hear me. I would be embarrassed, but nothing will ruin this moment!

_I am invincible, unbreakable_

_Unstoppable, unshakeable_

_They knock me down, I get up again_

_I am the champion_

_You're gonna know my name_

_You can't hurt me now_

_I can't feel the pain_

_I was made for this, yeah, I was born to win_

_I am the champion_

When I get to this part of the song, I stop running and stand in the center and take everything in.

_When they write my story_

_They're gonna say that I did it for the glory_

_But don't think that I did it for the fame, yeah_

_I did it for the love of the game, yeah_

_And this is my chance I'm taking_

_All them old records I'm breaking_

_All you people watching on the TV_

_You go ahead and put your bets on me, ay_

_I've been waiting my whole life_

_To see my name in lights_

_I am invincible, unbreakable_

_Unstoppable, unshakeable_

_They knock me down, I get up again_

_I am the champion_

_You're gonna know my name_

_You can't hurt me now_

_I can't feel the pain_

_I was made for this, yeah, I was born to win_

_I am the champion, oh_

As I was singing the lyrics, I heard other voices singing to it. I looked and saw it was my friends. Midoriya, Mina, Kirishima, Jiro, Hagakure, Kendo, Shiozaki, and even Yaoyorozu! I smile brightly at them and continue onto the next verses.

_Born champion, Luda_

_The C is for the courage I possess through the drama_

_H is for the hurt but it's all for the honor_

_A is for my attitude working through the patience_

_Money comes and goes so the M is for motivation_

_Gotta stay consistent, the P is to persevere_

_The I is for integrity, innovative career_

_The O is optimistic, open and never shut_

_And the N is necessary 'cause I'm never giving up_

_See they ask me how I did it, I just did it from the heart_

_Crushing the competition, been doing it from the start_

_They say that every champion is all about his principles_

_Carrie_

“Everyone with me!” I yell out as the entire stadium sings with me.

_I am invincible, unbreakable_

_Unstoppable, unshakeable_

_They knock me down, I get up again_

_I am the champion_

_You're gonna know my name_

_You can't hurt me now_

_I can't feel the pain_

_I was made for this, yeah, I was born to win_

_I am the champion_

The crowd stops and cheers as I sing the final verses of the song.

_I'm the champion, yeah_

_Surpassed all rivals_

_It's all about who wants it the most (I am the champion)_

_Fight for what we believe in_

_That's what champions are made of_

_I am the champion”_

I hold onto the last word for as long as I can as I receive a standing ovation from the audience. I take one more breath and look up high into the sky with pride, overwhelming happiness, and perfect bliss. All the crap I went through as a child, all of the misery, the mental and physical pain, the bullying, the teachers telling me I can’t do it, the other kids taunting me for being weaker, the regular adults that tried to convince me that I couldn’t cut it, and even U.A itself, I beat them! I proved each and every single one of them all wrong today! I showed the world that I can do it! That I am qualified! That I am worthy of becoming a pro-hero! All of that lead to this defining moment in my life.

I let the last word go and smile as brightly as ever and say what I feel is right at this very moment, “I am…Iron Maiden.”

* * *

**FINALLY! IRON MAIDEN HAS DEBUTED! She! Is! Here! AND I DID NOT LEAVE YOU ALL ON A CLIFFHANGER! It was a perfect time for one, but I think you all waited long enough.**

**Like the Hellsing Ultimate quote, I added? I’m not sure if that is good or bad to put in, but I thought it was cool.**

**Two things I want to say:**

**One: I had Uraraka face Bakugo because of crucial character develop. Without Bakugo teaching Uraraka she needs to be a better fighter, there would be no reason for Uraraka to attend Gunhead’s dojo. As for not writing about the fight between them? I thought it would be a waste of time to rewrite something everyone already knows about. The only important part I needed was how Hatsume reacts to it, so I just wrote her opinion after the fight.**

**Two: I was thinking of using AC/DC or Black Sabbath, but I thought using the band ‘Iron Maiden’ was more fitting considering the name.**

**Three: I was going to have Hatsume and All Might talk, but that would ruin the perfect ending. They will chat in the next chapter.**

 

**Next time on ‘Iron Maiden’**

**Hatsume: I WON! I ****** WON!** ****

**Midoriya: YOU DID IT! YOU WON THE SPORTS FESTIVAL!**

**Hatsume: GET OVER YOU YA CUTE GREEN HANDSOME PRINCE!**

**Midoriya: HATSUME! I CAN’T BREATHE! THE HUG IS TOO TIGHT!**

**Hatsume: Sorry! I’m just so happy!**

**Aizawa: Mei Hatsume. Come with me.**

**Hatsume: Huh? Why?**

**Aizawa: To discuss your future with U.A. I think we made a mistake in your placement.**

**Midoriya and Hatsume: Next time on ‘Iron Maiden!’ Sports Festival Aftermath! Aizawa has an extra seat?!**

**See ya next time!**

* * *

**Alternative Ending**

“Ohohoh wow! I actually felt that one!” I laugh as I run out of the smoke and give him a straight hook to the face, “Try harder next time.” After all he has said to me and seeing how funny this is right now, I think I’ll have a little bit of fun. A little bit of vengeance against those who mock me because of my quirk status.

Bakugo backs up and growls loudly, “I said shut up!”

“I know you did, and I am failing badly at that,” I reply as it causes him to get angrier. Bakugo runs up to me and jumps over me.

“High-Velocity Impact activate.” High-Velocity Impact increases my suits overall capabilities by three-times, and also allows me to process thoughts by that same amount. I quickly turn around and roundhouse kick Bakugo in the air. This surprises the explosive-user as he can't dodge my sudden counter in time and takes the hit. Bakugo skids across the ground, but scarcely stops before he crosses the out-of-bounds line. “Oh hanging by a thread.” I chuckle lightly and watch Bakugo stand up with a crazed expression, “Had enough yet?”

“Don’t mock me!” Bakugo howls at me like a wounded animal.

“Oh, does that hurt?!” I say with bitterness, “Because I recall you mocking me for having a weaker Quirk all day today!” I feel powerful, more powerful than I ever felt before and it feels great! I am about to say something else, but I catch myself before I say it. “I’ll make you a deal Bakugo.”

“WHAT?!” I can’t tell if he feels offended or angry, or both. Either way, I don’t care. I’m having too much fun.

“I want you to hit me as hard as you can,” I say with a smirk under my mask.

Bakugo chuckles at my comment, “Oh is that so?!”

“Wait. You might have misheard me.” I say with some smug, “Not half as hard, not some arbitrary number. No. I want you to hit me...as hard...as you can.” I put my arms out and take a breath of fresh air. “Are we clear on that?”

“Crystal.” Bakugo puts both of his arms out at me as they begin to slowly develop sweat. I can tell he is serious about this. He is going to hit me as hard as he can, but I know this will do nothing.

 _“Kid. What are you doing?”_ Tony speaks to me through the suit,

“Having a ‘blast’,” I reply with a giggle.

_“This isn’t right, Hatsume! I know he has wronged you, but you are better than this!”_

“I am. I am better than this.” I feel something in my head snap as all I can remember is how everyone kept bullying me without mercy, and now, now I have the chance to show them all up and I will not let this chance pass me by! “But this is what I want. I want to show him that I’m better than him at his best!”

 _“Hatsume…”_ Tony says as I noticed his voice sounds as if something hit him.

I focus my attention back to Bakugo and see his palms covered in sweat with mini explosions erupting in his hands.

“What is going on here?” Present Mic asks, “Hatsume is just standing there while Bakugo is charging an attack.”

“She is challenging him.” Aizawa says, “Hatsume wants Bakugo to hit her with his best shot. I don’t agree with her actions, but I can feel this action stems deeper than just showing off.”

Bakugo starts to yell as the explosions in hands get bigger and bigger. “Oh wow! That actually looks powerful!” I tell Bakugo, “I think I will definitely feel this one!”

“All that you will be feeling is oblivion!” Bakugo roars to me.

“Either that or disappointment,” I laugh in his face, “Come on! Flip that coin!”

“NAPALM BOMB!” Bakugo announces the name of his attack as his hands explode with a furious rage behind it. The powerful explosion he set off comes at me like a freight train set on fire.

“Oh crap!” I yell out as I am engulfed by it and feel the explosion pass by me while burning most of my armor with it. There is nothing but smoke surrounding me as the only part of my mask remaining is just a little piece on my left eye. I know this isn’t anything. I know the suit is designed to take even better hits, but I’m still not done having fun. Besides, the screen on my eye tells me that the suit still has 99% battery left with a 97% defense running with it. Which means I can instantly regenerate all the damage I took.

“WOW! WHAT A DEVASTATING ATTACK BY BAKIGO! I BELIEVE HATSUME WILL REGRET THAT TACTIC!”

When the smoke clears, I fake my stunned and scared look as I see Bakugo’s face turn back to that same old egotistical face of his. I hear him laughing lowly as I look at my armor in a fake dumbfoundedness. “W...what did you do?!” I yell to him, only to hear him laughing more, “You think this is funny?!” Bakugo’s responds by laughing at the top of his lungs. “This isn’t funny as funny…” I wipe the bogus expression of mine and give him a smug look, “As your face.”

Bakugo’s laughing halts as his expression look confused, “Huh?!”

“WHAT?! THE ARMOR GREW BACK!” Present Mic and the audience all look equally as shocked.

I chuckle lightly as my armor regenerates instantly and leaves Bakugo with an overwhelmed look, “You know, I kinda wished you burned all of it off. It would have made for a bigger surprise.”

“GRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAR!” Bakugo runs up to me and bombards me with reckless explosives, “WHY WON’T YOU DIE?!”

“Oh Bakugo,” I laugh out as I walk through the explosions, “Like a soon to be defeated man once said, ‘You aren’t even worth the effort. If you somehow make it to the finals, I will gladly put you in your place.’” I pause as I reach him and give him my hardest punch to his gut and stall him completely, “‘At the bottom of the deck with the rest of you weaker Quirk users.’” I grab him by his arm and throw him slightly above the ground and kick him with all my might and launch him out of the ring.

I look at Midnight as I wait for the announcement, but all I come across to see the speechless expression on her. I think I overdid it, but who cares, I finally got my well-deserved revenge and damn did it feel good.

Midnight blinks and recovers. She then whips her flog into the air, “Bakugo is out of bounds! The winner of the Sports Festival is Mei Hatsume!”

**Yes. That alternative ending between Hatsume and Bakugo was a replica of Vegeta vs Perfect Cell in DBZ. I thought it might fit if Hatsume got into a power-hungry state. With enough power, even some of the purest people can be taken by its dangerous control. But I decided against this ending.**

**Sanity out!**


	11. Aftermath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have an announcement! Endgame happened, it was bloody fantastic, and it most likely made ya cry at the end. Now, because of what happened, I decided to write a scene regarding the end of the movie.
> 
> WARNING! If you have not watched Endgame, I heavily advise not to read beyond the second warning at the end of the chapter! If you wish to see Endgame without spoilers, DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT READ BEYOND THE SECOND WARNING! You've been warned here.

"Congratulations!"

"You won the Sports Festival!"

"That was amazing, Hatsume!"

"I'm still getting chills from your victory!"

"That suit is awesome! How did you get it?!"

"You really showed that cocky blonde head who's boss!"

This was the praise I was getting from my peers when I went back into the locker room without my suit over me. I was to wait there until they call me back into the ring for the medal presentation for first, second, and third place. When I had entered my locker room, I was already met by a variety of students from all classes. I was taken aback by the number of students that had come to show me their support for my victory, and I think some showed up because it had more to do with my speech about people with lesser Quirks than my actual victory. I was swarmed by so many of them that it was getting difficult to breathe.

"Okay, thank you, I appreciate the support and all but can I have some space?" I asked the crowd but no one paid attention to my request until someone in the crowd spoke up.

"Everyone! Please give Hatsume space, you are suffocating her!" The student spoke up for me, and everyone cleared up slowly. I looked to see that it was Iida.

"Iida?" I walk to him and examine him, "You're here too?"

"Indeed," Iida responded, "Though I do not believe we have officially met until now. My full name is Tenya Iida, as you probably already know from the tournament."

"I do," We shake hands whilst I look around the room, "I did not expect others to be here, let alone a crowd."

Iida smiles, "What you did was not only historical but all inspiring to them." Iida looked around, "Though I must say this is not my crowd considering what my Quirk is and how U.A sees it as high value, and most of them are like you. They were passed over because of what their Quirk can do. I came to congratulate you." Iida crossed his arms over his chest, "And to thank you."

"For what?" I have a feeling I know what it is, but I have to ask.

"For defeating Bakugo. I feared that if he won the Sports Festival, his ego would have only grown in a distasteful way." Iida answered.

"Yeah!" Someone from the crowd said, "I think I speak for everyone here that when he already declared himself the winner of the Sports Festival earlier today, everyone found that to be just straight up rude and disrespectful on so many levels!"

The crowd started to uproar once more as they all agreed with the one student's comment, but it quickly died down when a familiar purple puffy haired male walked through the crowd with a tired expression. "I'm quite glad you won, despite you also ruining my chances to proceed into the tournament."

I blink and take a closer look at him before I recognize who he is, "Shinso?"

Shinso smirks slightly, "So you do know me? I'm quite flattered."

"You were the only other non-hero course student to proceed after the obstacle course." I chuckle lightly, "Also it's kinda hard to forget a hairstyle that looks like you had electricity zap your head."

"Believe it or not, it's natural," Shinso replied and shook his head, "Anyways, congratulations. You worked hard to win the tournament, and it was for a bigger cause rather than your own. I dig that. I was aiming for a similar goal too, but not quite on your level."

I tilt my head slightly in interest, "Really?"

"Yes, but that is for a different time," Shinso closed his eyes and let out a yawn, "You made a massive impact with those who relate to you, heck, some of them see you as some sort of savior."

"Isn't that going a bit too far?" I ask, feeling flattered.

"Depends on you," Shinso replied.

The door opens and we all turn to see Power Loader standing in the doorway, "Hatsume." He speaks with obvious pride, "Come, it's time for the award ceremony.

I examine the crowd once more and see their faces. I have inspired them. I knew I was fighting for something bigger a while ago, and I knew people would look up to me when I won the Sports Festival, but I never expected to feel this much pressure coming from it. But to see them all find a glimmer of hope in these dark days, it makes it worthwhile. All they need is a little hope to make their dreams come true, and if I can be that light, then I will gladly carry the load on my back for them.

I nod my head and smile at them, "Thank you. All of you, but remember, it's not just for me, it's for everyone who has been cast out because of those with higher quirks doubting us." I get one more cheer from the crowd as I exit the room and follow Power Loader.

"Looks like you have a load of supporters, how do you feel about that?" Power Loader asks me.

"Terrified." I calmly reply.

"I understand. Just remember to fight for yourself too. Everyone is entitled to be selfish at times, and it's not like they'll carry you to your dreams. You have to make that happen on your own." Power Loader tells me.

"I know." I say as I make it to the tunnel, "I just hope I don't fall behind when I just got propelled to the top."

"Hatsume," Power Loader turns his head to me, "If I learned anything about you ever since you entered my classroom, it's that you are never satisfied with where you are. You're the type who wants to outdo yourself every single time." Power Loader laughs a little, "I'm curious to see where your path takes you."

I smile at my teacher's approval and bow my head to him, "Thank you, Mr. Maijima."

We keep walking until we enter an empty room that only has three large circular cement stands next to each other. It's the winner stands as the middle stand is the tallest while the left and right stands are lower with the left side being the shortest with each of them having a number on them to represent the position. I see that Uraraka and Todoroki are present in the room with Mr. Aizawa, but Bakugo is not.

"Where is Bakugo?" Power Loader asks.

"We don't know." Aizawa responds, "Staff members are currently looking for him."

I sigh heavily as I believe I know where he is. Anywhere but the stadium. I walk over to Uraraka and Todoroki as the former greets me with a smile and the latter just gazes at me.

"Congratulations, Hatsume!" Uraraka cheerfully said.

"Congrats." Todoroki plainly followed.

"Thanks." I smile at the two of them before I feel my smile vanish, "Any idea where Bakugo could be?"

Uraraka shrugs her shoulders, "No idea."

Todoroki looks towards an exit, "I get the feeling he left the arena."

Uraraka shot her head to Todoroki, "Seriously?!"

"He did win, and we both know Bakugo would see receiving the silver medal would be a waste of time," Todoroki said and aimed his focus to me, "Not to mention that he also lost to someone with a weaker Quirk."

I scowl at the idea of it and place my hands on my hips, "Any other person would take pride in their efforts. He bested everyone he came across." I then look to Uraraka, "Despite the brutality."

Uraraka shook her head, "I'm fine. I'm rather glad he did not hold back, it only shows me that I have a big weakness. I have no offense."

I'm a bit surprised Uraraka learned from the fight and found what she can approve upon.

I feel as though Todoroki's gaze on me and turn to him, "Yeah?"

"The suit," Todoroki says, "How did you get it?"

"That's right!" Uraraka mildly shouts, "Where did you even get that?!"

"I built it," I say with pride.

 _"Liar."_ Tony simply states in my ear.

"Wow!" Uraraka looks astonished, "Hatsume you are really cool!"

"It's quite powerful," Todoroki says and looks away.

"You know, you could have probably beaten me if you didn't hold back," I tell Todoroki.

Todoroki doesn't respond and keeps his eyes away.

I hear the two teachers chatting as Power Loader and Aizawa both look annoyed at this point.

"We can't keep waiting, Aizawa, we have to go on without him." Power Loader says.

"Agreed. I will have a talk with Bakugo when I see him in class." Aizawa says with emphasis on the word 'talk'. Aizawa turns to us, "The three of you, get on your stands."

The three of us do so as I climb to middle stand while Uraraka and Todoroki share the left stand. It feels weird to see the right stand empty, but considering the brat isn't here, it might as well be.

Power Loader approaches us, "The stands are on top of a machine that will raise you into the middle the arena for the ceremony. Please do not move when you are being elevated. You will receive your individual medals in just a second. Congrats to you all, you should be proud of your efforts." Power Loader says as he is about to press a button, but Aizawa stops him.

"Hatsume," Aizawa calls to me.

"Yes, sir?" I respond.

"Instead of going to your regular classroom after the Sports Festival, report to Class 1-A. We need to talk." Aizawa says as I feel my heartbeat skip and sense Uraraka's and Todoroki's surprise too.

"I...Uh…" I bow to him quickly and swallow my surprise momentarily, "Yes, sir."

"Don't be late." Aizawa simply says as he motions for Power Loader to raise us. I hear the machine whirring echo in the room as we begin to elevate higher towards the roof. The ceiling separates itself to fit us. The sun beams right into the room as we shield our eyes. We also hear fireworks setting off around the arena, and they are bright enough to be seen in broad daylight too. At the same time, we can hear the crowds roars once more along with cheesy award music playing through the speakers. Smoke covers us during our entrance and I hear a loud pop and feel small confetti land on my face. I can barely see through the smoke to tell that Midnight is in front of me, and everyone else who participated in this Sports Festival has gathered in one spot with the media behind the students and a long connected line of small fences.

The smoke quickly disappears to reveal the three of us. I stand proudly on my stand and look into the crowd of students and audience. I zoom in on their excited yet equally confused faces. No doubt they are wondering where Bakugo is, but that isn't my problem. If Bakugo wants to be a sore loser, then let him be one.

"Katsuki Bakugo would be present for second place, but it seems he has disappeared from the arena." Midnight explains but continues, "Now! Let's break out the hardware!" Midnight says with a hand salute, "Of course, there is only one person worthy of distributing the awards." With that being said, everyone hears an all too familiar laugh in the air.

"Citizens!" We all look up to the sky to see a towering, muscular figure on top of the stadium. The number one hero, All Might. "I am here with the medals!" All Might ecstatically announce and jumps from where he is standing. The crowd goes absolutely insane for him as expected. He draws much attention and love from everyone around the world. All Might does multiple front flips before he lands on the ground with a loud thud a few feet from me and Uraraka and Todoroki. He is positioned in what former anti-hero Deadpool would call, 'A Superhero landing.' I don't what Midnight was saying, but she was speaking during his entrance that ruined the whole thing. I could even see All Might stare at her with Midnight looking back with little shame. Midnight is then handed the medals on a glamorous tray by a small, adorable robot servant. She takes them and looks to All Might.

"So, now that you're here, All Might, why don't you start the presentation?" Midnight holds the tray to All Might as he takes the medals and walks to Uraraka and Todoroki. "Young Todoroki, young Uraraka." All Might speaks to them as he places their bronze medals around their necks. "You each showed individual strength that is expected of you." All Might praise them and looks to Uraraka, "Though I must say, young Uraraka, you surprised me the most from your class. You persevered through many challenges and outmatched opponents who had a significant advantage over you. You found a way to beat the odds and come close to first place. With skills like that, you truly are on the right path to becoming a hero."

Uraraka beamed brightly and bowed her head, "Thank you, All Might!"

"However," Uraraka looked up to All Might, "Both you and Todoroki relied heavily on your Quirks, and have limited offensive abilities. Young Uraraka, you must learn how to use your hands and feet in other ways than just simply touch. It'll be hard to grab an enemy, especially a quick one. And Young Todoroki, you never used your left side. I assume there is a reason behind that?"

Todoroki did not answer, but his expression did change into slight anger, "I don't want to talk about it…"

All Might nodded his head, "Alright then, I will not pursue this. However, you will not have a fair chance of winning any future battles if you only use half your strength. You are gifted with two Quirks, quirks that are yours and yours alone. They may be replicas of your parent's Quirks, but you are in control of your Quirks. No hero became great by using half their full power."

Todoroki's expression only worsens when All Might brought up his parents, but then it quickly softens. "Thank you, All Might. I will take in what you said."

Uraraka nodded her head with a firm look, "And I will become stronger too! I know what I am lacking, and I prepared to make my weakness into a strength very soon.

All Might's smile seemed to grow brighter by both students reactions. "Very good." All Might then hugged both of the students, "I am proud to be a teacher for two great future heroes." All Might then pulled back and looked towards me.

I looked back to All Might and we had a brief stare-off. The amount of energy All Might command from everyone is outstanding, there is no one else in the world that can draw out so much raw emotion from an audience quite like him. When you see him, you feel safe, secure, hopeful. Peace. All Might is treated like a God of sorts amongst people, and he doesn't act stuck up about it either like some other popular heroes. Everyone is happy to see him.

Me? Not so much. If this was me before the Entrance Exam, I would be just as excited as anyone else in the arena. But I'm not. I still remember that audio clip. My rejection letter.

"I'm sorry to say, but that disqualifies you from entering the hero course. One of the stipulations to be eligible for the hero course is to use your Quirk during the exam. You did not once use it, and if you did, it wasn't one that was noticeable. The hero course is meant for those with physical or mental fighting Quirks and nothing else. It says here in your records that you do have a Quirk but only allows you see to see far away. That holds no value when it comes down to head-to-head combat. Instead, you will be placed in the Support Course. I hope you understand Young Hatsume."

No, All Might. I don't understand. I don't understand why you said that. I don't understand why I was rejected. I don't understand that having gadgets makes me weaker than everyone else. What I don't understand the most though, is if you meant it. Did you mean what you said about me, or was it all just scripted? I know you are not in charge of who goes in or doesn't go into the hero course, but the fact that it came from your mouth hurt the most because of what you stand for and what you preach about anyone becoming a hero. I need an answer soon.

"Young Hatsume." All Might snap me out of my trance as I see that he already moved in front of me. "Are you feeling okay?"

"Y-yeah." I reply, "It's just…" I try to think of a lie and come up with an obvious one, "It's just surreal meeting you."

All Might bellows, "The pleasure is all mine, but this moment isn't about me. It's about you." All Might says as he holds up my gold medal. "You have achieved those not in the hero course tried so hard to accomplish, but were not able to do. You, young Hatsume, are the first non-hero course student to ever obtain first place in the Sports Festival. Not only that, but you also re-debuted what scientist of today are still trying to engineer into existence again. You have an Iron Man replica, a highly advanced suit no less. Young Hatsume, you shocked us all and proved to many that those who do have Quirks not suited for battle have a fighting chance to be a hero. Congratulations, Young Hatsume." All Might placed the medal around my neck, "You earned this victory."

I feel proud of the moment. I do cherish what I accomplished today and I always will. Nothing will take that from me. "Thank you, All Might." I bow my head to him.

All Might then turns to the other students below, "Listen up students. Any of you first years could have ended up standing on these podiums. Think about what you've done today. You've challenged each other, learned, and climbed even closer toward your goals of being pros. I think the next generation of heroes is proving to be our most promising one yet. So I have one more thing to say." All Might raised his finger into the air, "I want to hear everyone yell it with me. You know what it is!"

Oh, a Plus Ultra with All Might? Okay, I get behind that.

"Plus Ultra!"

"Thanks for your hard work!"

"What."

_"What."_

"What?!"

Got a 'Stone Cold' chant going on.

"That was the perfect time to say, 'Plus Ultra,' All Might!" Everyone said in unison.

"How the hell are you people thinking of the exact same thing?!" Tony asks in regards to the previous time everyone said exactly the same phrase before the Cavalry Battle.

"Well, yeah, I guess, but everyone did such a good job!" All Might excuses himself for his mistake.

I shake my head and laugh at the amusing situation before me. I grab my medal and look it. My trophy for all the work that I dedicated to this moment. This is the first step on my road to becoming a pro-hero. To become the Iron Maiden.

* * *

 

When the ceremony was over, I quickly made my way back to the locker rooms to rest. I was tired as heck, and Recovery Girl's Quirk did not make it any easier for me. When I reached the locker room, I sat against a wall and fell asleep.

"Young Hatsume!"

I gasp and jump onto my feet to All Might standing by the door. "W-w-w-what?!" I am panting heavily at the sudden yell of my name.

"Sorry to scare you, but you have been sleeping for several hours here. It is almost time for you to report to Class 1-A. I shall quickly transport you there." All Might informed me.

"I'm just tired," I whine a little and walk over to him with a yawn.

"I understand." All Might says as he lets me through and follows me from behind, "You worked so hard to make it to first place, and your bout with Young Yaoyorozu brought out the best of each of you."

I rethink to the fight and can't help but smile at it. It was an incredible battle, one I will never forget.

"Hatsume." Tony talks to me, "This would be the perfect time to ask him that question."

I stop walking and look down when Tony reminded me of my biggest internal struggle. That question. The one that's been eating me up for so long.

"Young Hatsume?" All Might gets in front of me, "Are you alright?"

"All Might…" I clearly say but still with a low voice, "I need you to answer a question for me. It's been eating my mind for so long, and I have the chance for an answer. I need an answer from you."

All Might looks perplexed, "Uh...sure." All Might crosses his arms over his chest, "Ask away."

"Do you remember my U.A letter?" I ask him without looking.

I feel All Might stiffen a bit, "Uh...no. I don't." All Might sounds sincere that he cannot recall it.

"I didn't expect you too, but I just wanted to ask," I say as nanites begin to cover my right hand. I look at All Might and open up my palm. A hologram appears from my palm. The rejection letter. Before the Sports Festival started, I downloaded the letter into my suit because I knew I would run into All Might at some point today, and I need to talk to him about this. I need him to clear this up. "I received this when the letter was delivered to my home. As I said earlier today against Todoroki, I placed 13th in the Entrance Exam, yet I was rejected. The rejection didn't hurt. It was the reason why I was rejected that hurt me." I swipe my left across the hologram as it begins to play.

"You see, you did pass, however, you did not use your Quirk at all. Instead, you used gadgets to your advantage. Although it is allowed to use such items, you signed up for the hero course. I'm sorry to say, but that disqualifies you from entering the hero course. One of the stipulations to be eligible for the hero course is to use your Quirk during the exam. You did not once use it, and if you did, it wasn't one that was noticeable. The hero course is meant for those with physical or mental fighting Quirks and nothing else. It says here in your records that you do have a Quirk but only allows you see to see far away. That holds no value when it comes down to head-to-head combat. Instead, you will be placed in the Support Course. I hope you understand Young Hatsume."

All Might look disappointed. He even turned away from me for a moment with a sadden expression, "...Young Hatsume…"

"All Might…" I say with a sigh, "I need to know because I don't understand. I don't understand any of this, any of what you said to me." I feel my emotions begin to boil, "I did what I did because I was ambitions. I wanted to be in the hero course, but to be rejected because I don't have a physical or mental fighting Quirk? No. No that shouldn't be a stipulation, that should not be the reason why I was rejected and placed into the Support Course. Don't get me wrong, I love the classroom and Power Loader, but it's not my dream. I can't stand walking past the hero courses every day knowing I earned my spot to be in those classes!" I practically yell at him now, "I was better than more half of those students currently in the courses! I did better than most, I proved to everyone that I wouldn't let my Quirk limitations hold me back! I thought of everything else to put me on the map, to put me past everyone else with better Quirks than me! To show the U.A staff that I am capable of surpassing the impossible odds and I damn well did do just that!" I rub my face and growl under my breath, "I understand that they have great Quirks, I won't deny it. They really do. But what about their character? Their reasons to be heroes? Some of them don't even want to save people, they just wanna be popular. Others just want to show up everyone else and be damn celebrities or just show-off just how powerful their Quirks are and make everyone else feel lesser than them!"

"Young Hatsume..." All Might tries to speak, but I don't let him.

"I want to save people. I want everyone to look at me and feel safe, to feel secure, to feel peace. To know that I will protect them at any and all cost because I can't stand people getting bullied around by jerks! I know how that feels! I lived through that crap every day from my elementary to middle school years!" I smack my hands to my sides, "I don't have a hardening Quirk, I don't have a strength enhancing Quirk, fire, ice, creation, zero-gravity, engine, big fists, or any of that! "But that doesn't kill me." I say to him and give him an intense stare, "Want to know what does kill me? That I want to be a hero but I am denied that chance because of my Quirk! What you preach is something I can't have because of my Quirk? Anyone can be a hero, but I guess you need a great Quirk to be one and not have a heart that believes in it, huh?!"

"Young Hatsume, that isn't how it is!" All Might says to me.

"Sure as hell looks like it, All Might!" I throw my hands up into the air, "Because I am not in either class! I was born with something I couldn't decide for myself and somehow that makes me a liability?! Makes me unable to do what many others dream of?! I'm not in the hero course, but the fact that people like Bakugo are and I'm not makes me sick!" I clench my fists tightly, "Every damn time I crossed paths with him today he always harassed me and I never even met him before today! He always threatened and tormented me every damn time, hell, he even used his Quirk on me to make me scared and quit the Tournament! He even told me that he will 'put me in my place' if I make it to the finals! What kind of standard is being set here?! People like that can get into the hero course?! You're telling me bullies are allowed to be heroes, but people who genuinely care can't?! He didn't even show up for the award ceremony to accept second place because he left the building immediately after he lost! What kind of hero is that?!" I am panting harshly as I finish up what I have to say, "Strong Quirk, weak character."

All Might stood there and absorbed what I had to say. Didn't even move an inch. Sure he tried to talk, but I didn't let him for a number of reasons, and one of those reasons was to get this rage off my chest. All Might isn't looking at me, he looks down in shame I would assume. He knows I'm right in certain areas of my venting, and nothing he says will change my mind.

I catch my breath as we stand in silence, "All Might…" I say once more, "What you said on the message, my rejection letter, did you mean any of it?"

We stood in silence for what felt like hours to me but were really only a few seconds. Everything I said I just needed to get off my chest, but what I need to be answered is what I was told in my letter.

"Young Hatsume…" All Might broke the silence, "I understand your anger. I know that it all seems unfair to you. I know that Bakugo isn't the best person when it comes to character, but believe me when I say that there were others like him that turned okay after the three years. I know it seems wrong of us to recruit those who have a history of bullying, but U.A has been very successful to turn those wrongs into positives and have them be better men and women. Bakugo is just another person in that special category. He possesses gifted talents that can not go to waste, but there is another situation that needs to be taken into account." All Might walked left and right for a moment in thought, "If we were to reject Young Bakugo, and if he took it badly, I fear he would have become a villain, and that is not acceptable. Not only do we lose someone with great gifts, but a young man with a bright future will no longer have that opportunity to be something greater." All Might sighs loudly, "Regarding your question? No. No, I do not believe in anything I said, as a matter of fact, I feel guilty for saying it."

That catches me off-guard, yet I also feel that I that would be the answer all along.

All Might continues speaking, "I remember your score, Hatsume. I remember watching you defeat those robots left and right. I was amazed by your tech and your ability to outpace everyone but the twelve in front of you. I was excited for you. I knew you could be a great addition into the hero course, it's just my superiors disagreed with me." All Might ran a hand over his head, "I remember a young, Quirkless man asking me if he could be a hero. I told him no, I told him he needed a Quirk to be one because he would be overpowered. I destroyed his dreams…" I was about to scold him for it, but I paused when All Might let out a small laugh, "Boy was I wrong because, on that same day, that young man saved his friend from a villain in front of me. I couldn't believe what I saw. An hour ago I told that young man he couldn't do it, yet he did so in front of my eyes. At that moment, I knew I was wrong about everything. Before that day, I was a hypocrite who said anyone could be a hero, but I only meant it towards a specific group of people. But that young man opened my eyes and showed me the true aspect of what a hero is. It doesn't matter where you hail from, what Quirk you have, how fast, strong, tough, smart, or anything. It doesn't matter. What matters is that as long as you the heart of a hero, then you can be a hero. Some will have it easier than others, but if you put your soul into your dreams, then you will achieve greatness!" All Might's energy has returned to him as well his smile. "I found that same young man later that day and apologized for everything while telling him he can become a hero, and with that, Young Hatsume, I must apologize to you too. I was acting out on what I was given, but I did not know how much it would hurt you and I am deeply sorry for the pain I caused you. But like I told you at the award ceremony, you proved the world wrong about people with lesser Quirks. You proved everyone wrong. I couldn't more be honored to share the same school with a young woman who will defy all odds, just like Iron Man did before her."

I… I don't know what to say. He said all the right things to me. I wasn't expecting much, but he put heart into his words. I know he meant every bit of what he was saying. He is sorry for everything, and he does mean well for people like me. All Might even admit to being a hypocrite, something I never thought he would be, but he told me of an unsung hero who changed his perspective. Though I can not agree with Bakugo's situation, I can say I am at peace with this struggle. All Might does support me and others like me, and that's I needed to know.

"All Might…" I mumble and look down in shame. I shouldn't have been so hard on him. He didn't deserve my rage. It's not his fault.

"Don't be down, Young Hatsume. I know you were hurting, and its best to let it out before it consumes you." All Might said as he gave me a hug. "You're strong, and I can see you being one of the best this generation has to offer. There is a reason why Aizawa wants to see you." All Might broke the hug and looked at a nearby clock on the wall, "We're running late, we have to go."

I smirk a little and mentally tell the nanites to reform the suit, "Want to race?" I ask as nanites finish surrounding me.

"Just this once because we're late." All Might laughed as he sped away as I flew after him.

* * *

 

It did not take long for us to reach the school and the classroom. All Might won the race by a longshot, and I can tell he was holding back, even when I did use High-Velocity Impact. I need to upgrade my speed.

"Here we are, Class 1-A." All Might said as we stood in front of the door. I look at the massive door in front of me. I'm still grasping at the invite I was given from Aizawa to be here. "I will not be present for what happens, I must leave."

I turn to All Might and look up at the idol in front of me, "Hero work?"

"Of course. Villains never stop running amok." All Might says and turns around to leave. "Do not enter until Aizawa tells you too."

"Okay." I nod my head and watch All Might begin to leave. I was wrong about him. He is still everything I believe in. I was just blinded by anger to see that All Might does care, even though someone else had to teach them. I can't help but wonder who taught All Might that valuable lesson? I am curious if I'll ever run into that Quirkless hero who changed All Might.

 _"Hey, Pinky,"_ Tony calls to me.

"Yeah?"

 _"That Quirkless kid is a lot closer than you think,"_ Tony tells me.

"How did you know I was thinking of that?"

_"Just a guess."_

"Do you know where he or she is?"

_"Yeah. He's very near actually."_

"So he's a boy?"

_"Isn't that what the pronoun 'he' stands for?"_

"Whatever." I prance around the hallway as I wait for Aizawa to call me inside, "Do you think I'm going to be transferred into the hero course?" I ask with hope.

 _"You should be, but who knows,"_ Tony says, _"If you don't, be proud of what you accomplished and keep knocking down doors until you get where you want to be. You're working so hard to gain a seat, but you'll have to work harder to keep it if you make it."_

"You mean when I make it," I say as the door opens to reveal Aizawa.

"Come inside," Aizawa says to me as I walk into the room. It's your typical classroom with all desks facing the podium where Aizawa stands, the blackboard, and Aizawa's desk.

"Hatsume!" Mina shouts as I look to see my friends smiling at me with others looking confused, or in Mineta's and Kaminari's case, gazing at me creepily. I take a better look at the rest of the class and see most of the students are in good shape aside from a few who have bandages on them. Midoriya and Yaoyorozu look like they took the worst of it because Yaoyorozu's chest looked bigger than usual because of the bandages under her uniform. Her head also had a few smaller ones cover parts of her upper skull and one on her cheek. Midoriya, on the other hand, had his right hand in a cast with similar treatment for his head as Yaoyorozu, but the most notable aspect was a purple bruise on his left cheek. That's where I punch him to end the fight, I assumed it would be worse than it looks currently, but Recovery Girl most likely played in part in easing the swelling. My thoughts were broken when I heard a familiar yell.

"What is she doing here?!" I recognize that rage anywhere. I turn my head to meet the furious stare of Bakugo. The silver medal, which I assumed was on his desk, is now on the floor. What disrespect.

"She's here because she earned it," Aizawa says.

"What do you mean, Mr. Aizawa?" Yaoyorozu asked.

"There was a rumor going around that there was a chance that someone could be moved into the hero course," Aizawa said as I felt my heartbeat racing. Could they be true?! Were the rumors true?! "And those rumors were true." Aizawa has answered my prayer as everyone, including myself, look at him with shocked expressions.

"WHAT?!" Bakugo shouted and nearly got up, "WHY?!"

Aizawa's face may have been covered in bandages, but I could still feel his glare when his head sharply turned to Bakugo, which causes the blonde to freeze in place, "Because she proved herself worthy of it! I was never a fan of the Entrance Exam, I always believed it was completely one-sided, and I was right." Aizawa then looked to me, "All Might wasn't the only one who vouched for you. I did so as well. I see a fire in you, a fire that is rivaled by a few of my current students, and I know you are worth my time." Aizawa said as I was completely stunned, too stunned to move or even speak.

"Wait…" Midoriya spoke up, "If Hatsume is being moved into Class 1-A…" Midoriya's expression shifted into a terrified look, "Who's getting dropped?!" The atmosphere quickly went cold. I forgot about the stipulation! If I am being moved into Class 1-A, then that means I am taking someone's spot!

"No one." Aizawa bluntly stated.

"HUH?!" Everyone asked at once.

"No one is getting dropped," Aizawa said, "There is a trail Hatsume has to go through first." Great, another roadblock. "Hatsume will be attending our class, but she won't be a permanent addition. Not yet anyway." Aizawa's aura then turned serious, "I suggest all of you work your asses off because if you don't, Hatsume will take your spot. Do not blame her if you end up being dropped."

I stare at everyone as they all stare back. In order for me to continue chasing my dream, someone's must end. I feel terrible knowing this, but…I won't be a hero if I don't do this. I just hope that whoever I replace will be able to forgive me.

"Everyone listen up." Aizawa brought our focus back to him, "You have the next two days of school off to recuperate. I'm sure the pros who watched the festival will wanna recruit some of you. We'll look over the draft forms and update you when you return. Get some rest. You still have a lot of training." Aizawa then looks to me, "Or in this case, working harder than ever before to earn your permanent seat." I nod at the challenge given to me. Aizawa looks back to everyone, "Are we clear?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Good. Dismissed." Aizawa says as he exits the room rather impatiently.

Everyone gets up and grabs their things as I watch them. I don't know who it will be, but someone won't be here. I take a look around to see Midoriya looking elsewhere. I avert my eyes to where his focus is and see an empty seat. I take a quick recount of everyone and notice that Iida is missing. I wonder where he is. He doesn't look the type to miss an important announcement.

"YOU!" I look towards the shouting at Bakugo is suddenly in my face, "What the **** do you think you're doing?!"

"Didn't Aizawa just say or were you too busy stroking your own ego?" I reply with snark.

"I heard what he said, and like hell, you'll be transferred into my class!" Bakugo says as everyone then surrounds us.

"Bakugo, don't do this," Kirishima said as he was about to place a hand on Bakugo's shoulder, but Bakugo quickly smacked it away.

"Get away, shitty hair!" Bakugo yells at him.

'Hey!" I shout with a scowl, "Don't hit Kirishima!"

"Don't tell me what to do!" Bakugo says to me as he slams his hands together and creates an explosion, "It's because of you that I didn't win first place! I was destined to win, but because of your desperate ass couldn't handle your place in life, you had to build a stupid piece of crap to carry you to a level you don't deserve to be in!"

"And that 'piece of crap' beat you!" I shout back as the room seemed to be getting tenser.

"It was a f****** fluke that's what it was!" Bakugo yells back, "A fluke victory for a weak girl who can't beat anyone on her own!"

"Bakugo, shut up!" Mina suddenly said with aggression, "You don't know what the hell she's been through!"

"What did you tell me, Racoon Eyes?!" Bakugo snarls at her as Mina backs up a bit in fright.

"You lay a hand on her and I will kick your ass!" I bark at Bakugo and regain his attention.

"Enough of this shit!" Bakugo yells out, "It's because of people like you that some heroes don't make it through the wringer!" Bakugo states, "There are great heroes who can't show themselves because of weaker people like you pulling them and holding them down! They deserve to be there if they can't break out those weak grasps, but I will not let you or anyone like you hold me back!" Bakugo practically screams at me, "I'm the best here! No one comes close to me, everyone else here is just stepping stones to me and they are not better than me and I proved that already! But I will not stand for some technological extra from a room of hero course rejects beat me or even think of joining my class!" Bakugo seems dead set on making sure I don't join the hero course, especially his class, "I will kill you if you even get near this class or think you have a chance of joining it! Stay where you are because that's where you belong, ya filthy metalworker!"

"You...You done?" I say to Bakugo with an unimpressed look on my face. "You done?" Bakugo just snickers at me. "You see Bakugo, you are a fool." Bakugo looks at me with killer eyes as I hear the classroom take a breath. I guess I did the unexpected, but I'm not done. "You are a damn fool, Bakugo!" I walk around a bit as I continue talking, "There is an old saying that it is better to keep your mouth shut and let people think you are stupid than to open it and prove them right." The tensions in the classroom rise higher as I hear everyone hold their breaths.

"What the f*** did you just call me you b****?!" Bakugo says as I stop walking and point to him, making him pause.

"You, of all people, come at me and use the same pathetic excuse that countless others have used! You! With all of your talents, all of your gifts, and all of your opportunities, you have the audacity to blame people like me?" I say to him as Bakugo eyes me with a killer instinct. I look at Midoriya and he is frozen with fear in his eyes. The poor puppy is scared of Bakugo, and I understand why, but I will be damned if this jackass tries to blame me for his failures, "Alright then, let me educate you since you seem to be even stupider than I previously thought." I put my arm down and stand my ground. Many of the students seem prepared to jump in, but I glare at them all, "DON'T GET INVOLVED!" They all freeze, including Bakugo. I have had enough of this crap for one day, and I am going to straighten this bastard out!

"Okay! So you believe that people like me, people who have weaker Quirks have this mythical way of hooking onto 'badasses' like you and bring you down to our levels!" I start saying, looking Bakugo dead in his eyes now, "I can't tell if you are blind or stupid because it's your Quirk and your will that makes you great, nothing else! You wanna blame me? Fine, blame me, I've been through this BS for my entire life, I'm strong enough to deal with it, and I've been called a lot worse…" I smirk, "By a lot tougher."

Bakugo stares at me whilst not moving a muscle. He is listening, and he knows I am speaking the truth, but he can't bring himself to act as he will only be proven wrong now. With that, I continue, "You actually believe, that people like me, that our purpose in life is to drag the 'superior ones' down and keep them there at any and all cost. Let me explain something to you Bakugo." I take a breath and take one step towards him, "Not once have I ever tried to interact with those with better Quirks in my past because I didn't need to prove anything to them nor make myself feel better by holding them back. Not once did I ever retaliate when those bullies came at me every single day to torment my life because I was weaker than them, and I knew I was better than them because if they were so much better than me then why go after someone who is obviously weaker than them?" I walk up to his face, "I was honored and privileged to be able to participate in the Sports Festival or even attend U.A itself. I didn't let that chance slip me by, and I took advantage of the opportunity to show the world not only what I am capable of but what people with weaker Quirks are capable of by taking that gold medal in the tournament! I fought for that chance, it didn't even matter if I got gold or not, I just wanted to prove a point to everyone who ever doubted or mocked a person with a weaker Quirk!"

I poke Bakugo in the chest and keep my finger there, "You took that silver medal as a burden, hell, your whiny ass didn't even show up for the celebration!" I then point the finger to myself, "And you blamed me for it." I back up, but keep my eye on Bakugo, "Blame me all you want for why you didn't win first place but it has nothing to do with me! You can't stand that the fact that by me showing off the Iron Man suit and winning the Sports Festival out achieves everything you ever did in your entire life!"

Bakugo held his hands up in a threatening way, practically daring me to continue talking. I will dare myself to continue because now it is time to drive my point home, "You can preach all you want about having a better Quirk then me, you can prance around like a jackass about it and live in that ridiculous fantasy of yours every day but nothing will change the fact that I beat you!" I say as I hold my gold medal to his face, "I beat you. I earned this medal, and I sure as hell will earn my spot here in Class 1-A."

I get up in his face one more time, keeping the same appearance on, "And you can't stand it, so you're going to try your damn hardest to swerve me off the path of transferring into the Class 1-A. Let me tell you something, Bakugo." I let go of my medal and let it hang around my neck with a heavy bounce, "It doesn't matter what you do because at the end of the day I still beat you in the finals! And you know what, I'll have everyone in U.A and every pro-hero doing something you wished you did, I'll have them talking about you. You see because if you screw me out of this chance, Bakugo, if you screw me over, I will have them talking about you all right but it won't be because what you did, it will be because of what I did! Because if you cheat me, I will have everyone talking about how the almighty Bakugo, the guy who scored the most points in the Entrance Exam, the Explosive Quirk User, and the guy who fought off villains at the USJ looks like he went through a meat-grinder because Mei Hatsume kicked his worthless ass!" I back away from Bakugo and look at his expression and body. The brat is shaking with rage, he looks like a Super Volcano is about to erupt, but he won't move a muscle for whatever reason. It doesn't matter to me, I made my statement known to him. "Don't get in my way." With that, I turn around and walk away from him and out of the classroom.

Bakugo doesn't tail me, and I know he won't. He just had his pride, his ego, and his abilities all put into question and destroyed. Though my absence doesn't last long because a few seconds later I hear an explosion and a yell. It was Midoriya who yelled.

I race back into the classroom to find Midoriya backing up on the ground as many of the classmates are holding Bakugo back. Midoriya has burnt marks on his bandaged hand, and his uniform was tarnished with smoke. "YOU DID THIS, DIDN'T YOU?! YOU'RE PATHETIC ASS PLAYED A PART I KNOW YOU DID! YOU TOLD HER SHE COULD BE SOMETHING SHE CAN'T BE AND NOW SHE IS RUNNING AROUND HERE BELIEVING SHE IS BETTER THAN ME?!" Bakugo looks up and sees me in the doorway as we lock eyes once more.

Midoriya follows Bakugo's eyes and sees me at the doorway, "H-H-Hatsume! Get away! Kacchan will-"

"No," I simply say as I walk over to Midoriya and help him up, "I don't need too." I look at Bakugo, "And you proved my point. You keep targeting someone who obviously can't fight back because he'll hurt himself trying to defend his own skin. Pick on the weaker ones to prove your might, but falter at those who are at your level or higher." I feel my face twist into confusion, "Do you still think you are better than me? Is your ego that fragile that you have to lie to yourself that much?" As the students let Bakugo go, I proceed to put out my arms, "Go on, take it. Swing at me. Blow me up. Do it. Prove your might right now. Prove to everyone what I did was a fluke and that I am feeble under your all mighty power." I growl, "Put me in my place, Bakugo. You said you will today, now do it. But I gotta warn you though that if you do swing at me if you do hit me or anyone else in this room, I will have no problem going for round two." Bakugo doesn't muster any movement and gives me that pitiful look of his. I shake my head and put down my arms and get closer to Bakugo, "If you were as good as you believe you are, I wouldn't have dropped your ass as fast as I did in that fight." I turn around and walk to Midoriya, but glance back at Bakugo one more time, "You're pathetic." I spin my head away, take Midoriya's hand, and pull him out of the classroom with me, ignoring the stunned and slightly red look on his face. I hear running coming from the classroom and turn back to see Mina, Yaoyorozu, Hagakure, Kirishima, and Jiro following me. I don't have anything to say and keep dragging Midoriya away from the classroom. If Bakugo wants to hurt Midoriya, well, he knows who he has to go through.

The road to transferring into Class 1-A wasn't going to be easy, I knew that, but now I have to also to deal with Bakugo's antics as well. I'm curious though. If he is this mad about the mere idea of me sharing the same class as him, how will Bakugo react when this thought becomes a reality? I guess I'll find out when it happens.

* * *

**SECOND WARNING! THIS SCENE CONTAINS MAJOR SPOILERS REGARDING ENDGAME! IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN ENDGAME AND WISH TO NOT BE SPOILED, DO NOT READ BEYOND THIS LINE!**

**DO NOT BLAME ME IF YOU GET SPOILED, I WARNED YOUR ASS!**

**This scene is non-canon to the Iron Maiden lore.**

* * *

**[BGM - Even For You - Avengers Infinity War OST]**

The war was over. It was finally over. The heroes once again prevailed after a long and desperate fight. All for One and his League of Villains were finally vanquished. Shigaraki, Kurogiri, Dabi, and every other member were arrested. One of the many people that played one of the biggest roles in this war was Toga. She betrayed the League for Midoriya's sake when he was about to be killed by Shigaraki. Toga stepped in and took the fatal blow for him, allowing Midoriya just enough time to escape. But the tragic ends of life did not stop there. No, she was the first of many heroes that fell, including the last Pro Hero of the now dubbed, 'Marvel Generation.' The Invincible Iron Man.

Iron Maiden found herself battling All for One to the death, and her suit was shredding as each blow came to her. With All Might gone, Deku stepped up to take over the Symbol of Peace and fought All for One in the last battle but was ultimately defeated when Shigaraki stepped in and the odds were too high for Deku. Though he was close to death once again, Shinso was able to make the save at the cost of his life as used his scarf to throw Deku's limp body to safety while being impaled by All for One and turned to dust by Shigaraki.

Bakugo, Todoroki, and Iron Maiden arrived too late to save Shinso but were able to evacuate quickly Deku. The three heroes were being chased by 'The Old King of Evil', and his prodigy. Iida arrived and took Deku away while the three heroes worked together to put the two leaders down. Iron Maiden charged at All for One and tackled him into an isolated area to fight without any interruptions.

The battle was long and grueling with neither fighter giving up an inch until the Iron Maiden suit began to slowly crumble. Hatsume pushed her suit and her body further, but it was not enough to defeat All for One. All for One was killing Hatsume as slowly as he possibly could, and he started by rending her suit useless. When the last bits of the Iron Maiden suit fell apart other than one hand, Hatsume fell to her knees in defeat. She believed it was all over for her, and without Deku, the villains would finally win this war and conquer Japan. That was until Iron Man came in just in time. Tony Stark arrived in his last suit, the Mark IV.

Hatsume watched as her mentor fought All for One in a panic. All for One was able to shut Tony out of the internet and the man was forced into the Mark IV to ensure his survival. Hatsume tried her best to get up and fight with her mentor to save his life, but her body was too weak to muster the strength too. Hatsume watched Iron Man and All for One battle, and she witnessed the Mark IV slowly fall apart like her Iron Maiden suit. Hatsume, with her last bit of will, was able to fire her final repulsor blast at All for One, effectively, allowing the nanites to die off and the Iron Maiden suit to completely disintegrate.

All for One felt the blast, but it wasn't enough to stop him. Seeing as nothing could stop the 'Lord of Evil,' Iron Man opened his mask to reveal Tony Stark and looked at Hatsume. Tony said nothing but gave her a smile. A smile that brought comfort to Hatsume every time she saw it, a smile that she grew eager to see whenever she made him proud, whenever she made Tony further believe she was his worthy successor. To her, Tony's smile meant more than All Might's.

Hatsume watched with shock as Iron Man suddenly wrapped his arms around All for One and flew high into the sky. She watched bits and pieces of the suit being torn off and falling to the ground. Hatsume cried into the sky for Tony to let go, for him to stop. She pleaded for him to not make the sacrifice everyone needed, but her pleas fell on deaf ears as the Mark IV suddenly lit up. Tony Stark made one more upgrade to his suit before arriving, an upgrade that would end the fight in one blast but at a price. The smoke riddled sky suddenly lit up in flames and TNT as it created a hole big enough for the blue sky to be seen, only to disappear just as quickly.

Hatsume stared at the sky with a traumatized expression and mind. Tony Stark made the final move. The Ultimate Sacrifice. Many shards of the Mark IV fell to the ground in burning crips, some even turning to ash in the process. All for One's body could be seen falling and Hatsume witnessed him hit the ground with a big bounce. Hatsume pulled herself to All for One to see if he was finally defeated, and he was. All for One remained on the ground as still as one could be. His body was broken, his mask was gone, his clothes were torn and full of smoke and ash. Hatsume stared at the broken villain. All she saw was rage and depression when she studied him. Hatsume looked around and quickly found a long, sharp pipe that was separated from the building it was once holding. In an act of rage, Hatsume quickly grabbed the pipe and lifted it over her head with tears spilling out of her eyes. Before she could impale All for One, Hatsume felt a grip on her hand. Hatsume turned to see Midoriya was the one holding her hand. The two stared at one another before Midoriya finally said.

"Don't do it. He wouldn't want you too because it's something he would do, and he wants you to be better than him."

Hatsume knew Midoriya was talking about Tony. That was his whole purpose. For him to make her better than he ever was, and that including never taking a life. Hatsume dropped the pipe and Midoriya quickly hugged her as Hatsume broke down and wept loudly into his chest.

The war was over, but at what did it cost? To many, it cost so much, but to Hatsume, it costed everything.

**[BGM - The Real Hero - Avengers Endgame OST]**

It was two days after the war, and many heroes and students were at Tony's old home. It was a beautiful cabin with trees surrounding it for miles, and a fresh lake that was home to many exotic creatures. Each of them was dressed for the sad occasion as it was time to say goodbye. In the front of the mourners was Hatsume dressed in a black dressed with her mother by her right, Midoriya on her left, and her father behind her. Hatsume built a tiny float and placed it on the lake for one of the two pieces of the Mark IV she was able to recover. The Arc Reactor. Hatsume hesitantly placed the Arc Reactor on the float and gently pushed into the pond as it floated away from them. Hatsume couldn't hold back anymore as she brought her hands to her face and broke down in tears as Midoriya and her parents all hugged her. Hatsume wept long and hard as she softly wished for Tony to come back to her, knowing that wish will never be granted.

Soon, everyone started to part ways slowly and left Tony's undisturbed home. Hatsume, Midoriya, and her parents were sitting on the front porch as they surrounded Hatsume to comfort her. Midoriya and Hatsume's parents were ready to depart, but Hatsume said she'll meet them at the car because she had something to say but in private. The three nodded their heads and left to the car as Hatsume looked back to pond. Hatsume slowly got up and walked to the pond before looking down. The float had gently sailed back to her due, maybe as a sign to allow Hatsume to say her final goodbyes. With a heavy sigh of sadness, Hatsume slowly parted her lips to speak to Tony for the last time.

"Hey, Tony…" Hatsume quietly said, "I…" Hatsume ran a hand through her hair, "I don't know what to say…I just…." Hatsume choked up and held back tears. She didn't want to cry again, not right now. "I just don't know how to feel right now. I know why you sacrificed yourself, but I wish you didn't. I wasn't ready for you to say goodbye. I wasn't ready for you to die. God damn it I wasn't ready to see you leave me!" Hatsume loudly started with a hiccup, "I wasn't ready, Tony. I wasn't ready for this. I miss you so much. I can't even bring myself to go back to the lab because it'll be empty. You won't be there to mock me or to laugh with me or to help me build another suit or upgrade or anything…" Hatsume wiped her eyes with a cloth she had in hands, "Tony why? Why did you have to leave? Why did you have to die? Why couldn't you stop? We could've beaten him together! Together like we always do! We were in this together since we started back when you revealed yourself to me on your website! Why did you do this without me? Why did you leave me?! Tony….why…" Hatsume fell to her knees once more and shed tears she couldn't contain anymore. "I miss you so much. I miss hearing your voice. I miss your constant sarcasm. I miss your cruel remarks. I miss your praise. I miss our talks. I miss our laughs and arguments. Tony, I miss you. I miss everything and I just want you back. Please. I can't do this without you. I'm not strong enough without you…" Hatsume quietly stated as she looked down at the Arc Reactor and saw words she never noticed before. Hatsume zoomed on the words and read them. 'Proof that Hatsume is my successor.'

Hatsume felt her heart jump. This was the first Arc Reactor they built together. How could she not recognize it? Tony died with Hatsume in his heart. Hatsume stared at it and recalled an old memory.

_"Heroes are made by the paths they choose, not the powers they are graced with. I was born with superior intelligence, and that didn't help me punch out villains. So when I was rejected my request for a hero license, I didn't roll over and bitch about it. Instead, I used my intelligence to build a suit. A suit that everyone knows today as 'Iron Man'. I was rejected and told I could never be a hero, but look at me now. I'm one of the top three heroes in the world, and I'm just in a suit of armor. When someone says you can't do it, your first words should either be, 'Why can't I?' or 'Yes I can.' Everyone is capable of being a hero. It just depends how much work you're willing to put into it to become one."_

Hatsume looked down, "I can't stop. Even without you, I can't stop. I am capable of being a hero, but I have to put more work than ever before into it. You wouldn't want me to be crying right now, you would want me to think of other ways to protect everyone and be the hero you always knew I could be. Right now you'd probably tell to pick myself up and keep going, and not to let your death stop me." Hatsume said with a small painful laugh, "It's just going to be so hard to keep being Iron Maiden without Iron Man standing next to me." Hatsume slowly stood up, "I'll make you proud, Tony. I promise I will live up to what you expect of me and some more."

Hatsume turned around and walked away from the pond with each step feeling lighter than the last. With one final glance, Hatsume looked back to the pond and felt calm. She felt secured. Safe. It was like Tony was there; like he was here for her right now, but Hatsume knew better. Tony is with her, and he always will be. He did promise to watch her after all.

"Goodbye, Tony. I love you."

 


	12. The Next Step

_Winning the Sports Festival got me noticed. It got those ignorant eyes to finally look at me and see what they are missing out on. Now they see I am just as much of a deserving candidate to be in the hero course as those who are currently enrolled right now, but the difference between me and them is how far I am willing to go to prove it, to claim that seat, and to keep it. Call me selfish because I believe I deserve that spot, but if I didn't believe I wasn't entitled to a chair, I wouldn't be busting my ass off to prove it. Tony helped me get started but now I have to do the rest. I have to learn how to build Arc Reactors, manufacture and repair suits, design new weapons, and maybe even create A.I's. It's time to take the next step in my future, but first, I have to meet another person. Another Marvel Hero who's currently alive._

* * *

I spent two days relaxing at home to recover from my injuries and to calm my mind. I didn't notice it, but I was carrying heavy levels of stress with me when preparing for the Sports Festival. I wanted to go to Tony's lab and start designing new weapons or upgrading Version I, but Tony prevented me from doing so as he instructed me that I needed a calm mind to think clearly or I might end up doing something ridiculous. Those days were nice. I gave Sprocket much-needed maintenance work, spent quality time with my parents, texting or calling Mina and Midoriya whenever I could, and at night, socializing with Tony on subjects that had no connection with any hero topics.

The third day was spent differently. Tony had asked me to go to the lab after breakfast, so I did just that. Currently, I am in the elevator heading down to the lab. I'm curious about what is going to happen, but I hope it is something good.

The elevator stops and opens its doors. I walk out to the lights on the ceiling coming to life and lighting up the room. "Tony," I yell out and head to the center of the room, "What did you want to discuss with me?"

" _I hope those two days off were spent well because it's back to work for us,"_ Tony says over the intercoms, " _You did well in the Sports Festival and managed your abilities with Version I without looking like a numbskull."_

"Well, I did have some training," I say as the centerpiece opens up and Version I rises.

" _Not to mention nearly killing yourself,"_ Tony reminds me of a crucial transgression in our relationship. " _But that is beside the point. Now it is time to move on to the next step. Building a new, and repairing your suit."_

Finally! The fun part begins!

I start to laugh giddily with absolute joy. "Oh, I have been waiting for this moment for a long time!" I run up to Version I and examine the exterior of it. It looks just fine to me, but that may be because of the lack of damage it took.

" _Quit looking at the suit for there is nothing wrong with it,"_ Tony tells me as the suit breaks down into nanites and climbs up my body to fuse itself into my goggles. " _As you know, one of the greatest qualities of being Iron Man was my ability to adapt to any situation. That was because for every experience I had with baddies or even allies, I always built a suit or a weapon that was meant to counter them like the Hulkbuster. We had built weapons designed to oppose certain Quirks and had training simulations to help you strategize. That's easy because you could have built those weapons given enough time. But what if you needed a special suit to defeat one of them? You would have lost because you were underprepared, and that is a situation I would not like to see you in if your life was on the line."_  I hear a whirring sound behind me as I turn around and see an entire engineering lab with various tools, rolls of blueprint paper, sketching utensils, and just anything an inventor needs.

I squeal with sheer happiness and run to the lab to check it out. "Oooooh! There are so many tools! So many different types of equipment! Oh, look, a multiuse appliance!" I grab the device and click a button. The implement is made of nanites as it switched between a hammer, each type of screwdriver, drills, saws, a torch, and many other tools. "This thing is awesome." I stare at this masterpiece and want to take it home.

" _It stays here, Hatsume."_

"Awwwwww…"

Tony chuckles at my disappointment. " _I built my first suit in a cave with the help of a friend, but it wasn't high tech. Just scrap metal put together. When I got home, that's when the real fun began. I built Model II then Model III, and then the rest. I had to invent my suits so I never had help from a mentor or anyone of my intellectual level. You have a gift, and that is me. I designed these suits so I know them to the smallest Philip screw. Not all of my suits are made of nanites, and that is because nanites are not in mass production. They take time to build, and I'm still working out kinks on them. Your Version I is made up of nanites because it's an emergency suit only. Unlike me, I had to wait for the nearest suit to arrive whenever I was in danger. I made yours be made up of nanites because I want you safe. I decided on that option when you were almost sexual assaulted and murdered in the alleyway. Don't expect another nanite suit for a long time."_

I lean against a chair and sigh contently that I have protection now, "Model 50 is made up nanites, right?"

" _No."_ Tony pulls up a screen that shows the Model 50 Armor. " _Model 50 is actually a suit made from symbiote DNA. It has the same qualities as a symbiote minus the living conscious and hijacking. Of course, you know how powerful this suit is and what it can do. It is my most powerful suit and the only one that government never got their hands on."_

"Wow…" A symbiote suit? That is mighty impressive, "Where is it now?" I ask curiously.

" _Not telling you,"_ Tony answers, " _That's top-secret."_

I can live with that, "Okay."

I walk to the crafting table and rip a large sheet of blueprint paper from a roll and staple it onto the empty wooden platform. "Hmmm." I ponder about how I want my newest suit to look like.

" _What are you doing?"_  Tony asks me.

"Thinking." I quickly reply.

" _You don't even know what you're doing,"_  Tony responds.

"I don't know how to build it, but that doesn't mean I don't know how I want it to look or what I want it to have installed." I know what I want and how I want it to look. I was thinking of going with a different color pattern, but I like it so I might just change the design of the suit. As for the weapons, I was thinking of replacing the temperature reactor and instead of having it as a weapon it can just be apart of the suit like the repulsor blasts. In its place, I would like a Pulse Bolt. Instead of the usual ray it fires, I want it to be a copy of my pistol and fire just bolts of plasma that can vary in power. The longer it is charged, the more damage it does, and the best part is that it will not explode if it is damaged.

" _Fine. Do that first."_ Tony says to me.

I smile lightly at the comment, "Yes, sir!"

" _Oh, and before I forget,"_ I look up to the ceiling since I can't see Tony's holographic form, " _You should rebuild pistol. That was neat little invention you whipped up. It could come in really handy."_

He liked one of my inventions. He's never complimented on one of them aside from Sprocket. I must be in Heaven right now!

"I will do that soon, Tony!" I brightly return to him.

" _Kid, calm down."_ Tony tells me, " _It was just a compliment."_

"From you!" I give him my reason. Tony sighs and leaves me to my brainstorming.

* * *

The third day passed quickly and I got some nifty ideas that need testing. I stopped designing my suit and rebuilt my pistol, but with better qualities, so it doesn't break again. I added an electrical feature to it so I can use it as a taser. I'm thinking I might add in a freeze shot too. Okay, I might make it an elemental gun like a Borderlands weapon.

Right now, I am back at U.A high school. It was raining in the morning so I came to school by car thanks to my father. I was told by Power Loader that I will start to attend Class 1-A after the internships because my schedule needs to be fixed to work around my current lessons. I would have been able to attend today, but they are creating hero names and that is just a waste of time to me. I already know my hero name and so I don't need to waste time thinking of it. It was an 'at the moment' kind of thing, but it worked for me.

Iron Maiden is the name I will go by forever, and the band 'Iron Maiden' will be my official band like how AC/DC was for Iron Man.

Right now, I am in my homeroom class at sitting at my desk around my classmates. They all wanted to see the suit, and I showed it to them. They were marveling at the sight of it, including Power Loader. All of them asked me how did I construct it and I just told them it was a home project I was working on since I was little.

"You must have had a lot of time on your hands, or your parents are birth a gifted student." Power Loader said, "Anyways class, we have to get a move on so take your seats." All of us go to our tables and I exit out of the suit. "Now, as support students, we have our internships too. Companies will reach out to you and ask for you to intern there. You can choose where you want to go to, but remember that you'll be competing against other students from other schools. Your goal as a support student is to invent an invention that will blow away the competition, and I'm not just saying that because you're at U.A. I'm saying that because that's what you need to do to cement your future. Of course, you have other opportunities in the future, but if you make a splash now, your career will look bright."

Power Loader grabs a remote and clicks a small button on it. The projector above us turns on and begins to warm-up. "I know what your thinking, everyone will want to go after Hatsume because of her suit, and you are not wrong. However, don't let that discourage you. You're all here because you have a passion to be the best inventor. Hatsume set the bar for all of you, and now it is your job to surpass her. Yes, it will be difficult, but nothing is impossible."

" _He kinda made you the enemy, you know?"_  Tony snickers in amusement.

"I noticed," I mumble back

" _Hey, take it in. You're the gold standard now_."

I shrug off Tony's words and focus back to Power Loader. The project lights up and the screen appears behind Power Loader. Everyone had a number between a few hundred, but that was nowhere near to my numbers. Mine was in the ten thousand areas, nearing a hundred thousand. Power Loader looked to the screen and did a double-take at my numbers. The class looked to me as I was paralyzed by the high numbers.

"Uh-huh." Power Loader simply said and let out a small laugh. "Damn, Hatsume. You have high numbers. I'm going assume that is because Pro-Heroes are reaching out to you too."

"Pro-Heroes?!" I shout with excitement.

"I know you're excited, but tone it down." Power Loader clears his throat, "But yes, Pro-Heroes. You defeated Todoroki, Endeavor's son, to advance to the finals and ultimately win the Sports Festival so seeing that Pro-Heroes want you to intern at their facility shouldn't be a surprise." Power Loader walks to his table and grabs a stack of papers. "Everyone has their own packet. Review your choices and choose where you want to intern at. Sorry to say that you only have today to choose, but that is why I had a few class sessions dedicated to looking at the history of each company and what they specialize in as well as famous alumni and most notable invention produced from them. The packets summarize what you know so your history is refreshed."

Power Loader then turns his eyes to me. "Hatsume. Since you have a lot more to go through, you have until tomorrow to choose. You will be a last-minute addition to any offering company or agency, but I don't think they'll mind."

Power Loader grabs the packets and started to pass them out to everyone, "Review your choices students, and choose wisely because you will be stuck there until your internship ends. You want to choose a place you know you'll succeed. If none of the companies interest you choose one that is nearest to your skillset or practices a subject that you want to try out. Companies like diverse employees, so don't be afraid to admit that you are new to the field. They'll be glad to train you."

When I get my packet handed to me, I feel Power Loader looking down to me. "Hatsume," I look up to my teacher, "That speech you gave at the Sports Festival, it reminded me of why I am a support teacher here at U.A. I wanted to inspire all of my classes that they can become heroes too if that's what they truly longed for. Words can not express how honored I am to have you in my class. I know you'll change the world when the time comes." Hearing Power Loader say that brings a bright smile to my face. Power Loader smiles genuinely in response, "Just remember to take things one day at a time and try not to blow yourself up." Power Loader then loses his smile, "Or my lab."

I snicker in response, "No promises."

Power Loader chuckles, "If you decide to go with a Pro-Hero Agency, I'll send you to Class 1-A so you can depart with them." Power Loader informs me and continues his routine.

The rest of the school day went by pretty fairly aside from the paparazzi. I got so overcrowded at one point that I put on the Iron Maiden suit and flew away. I got in trouble, but I was let off easy because of my situation. I was kinda disappointed that I didn't find Mina nor Midoriya today. I guess they are trying to decide where they want to intern at that their too busy so whatever.

* * *

I arrived back home with many different thoughts running through my head that nighttime came like the speed of light. It was past bedtime and I was trying to sleep, but I couldn't because of my decision. There were so many people to choose from, including several Top Ten heroes such as Ryukyu, Edgeshot, Mirko, Gang Orca, and even Endeavor. That last one surprises me.

" _Hey, kid, your mind still racing?"_  I look at my computer desk and see Tony sitting on my chair.

"Yeah." I place my hands under my head and look up to the ceiling. "There are so many to choose from, and I only have tonight to say where I am going."

" _You're lucky they gave you the extra time. There are so many different Pro-Heroes to choose from."_ Tony gets up and walks around the room. " _But I know none of them strike your fancy."_

"None of them are engineers or inventers. Some of them are great, even legendary like Edgeshot, but they don't have the factors I am looking for." I say with a large sigh, "I knew this wouldn't be easy, but I didn't think it be for that reason."

Tony places a hand on his chin in thought for a moment. His eyes look to me as he claps his hands. " _I have an idea."_

I sit up and look to him, "You do?"

" _Yeah, but it might take some time."_  Tony walks back to the computer and fizzles out, " _I haven't personally talked to the man, but I know he is something special. He was a robotics prodigy, and he graduated high school at the age of 13. Never attended U.A because he was never aiming to be a hero until an event changed his life, and then he became a part-time hero."_

My mind sparkles in fascination over this hero, "Wow! Who is he?"

" _I don't know. All I know is that Wolverine ran into him at some point when he was older, and that's how the Avengers came into contact with him. This will be the first time I look up his information."_ Tony explains to me, " _You should go to sleep. I'll take care of the rest."_

I lay back down on my bed and close my eyes. I don't know when I fell asleep, but I know it took a long time because I kept moving around in excitement about meeting this 'robotics prodigy'.

* * *

The following day, I was sent to meet up with Class 1-A. Everyone was nice to me, and I got to ride with Mina and Hagakure on the bus to the train station while Midoriya rode with Uraraka and Iida. During the ride, I grew curious about who Tony set me up with. I was hoping to have some answers when we arrived, but I was only given an address from Aizawa. Everyone was carrying their hero costumes in briefcases along with traveling cases with their items. That's a one-up I have since my costume is made of nanites. All I needed was just a backpack since I don't need much other than clothing and personal hygiene.

"Remember, you aren't allowed to wear them in public." Aizawa said to us, "Don't drop them or anything."

"Yessir!" Mina cheerfully replied.

"It's, 'yes, sir,' Mina. Speak clearly!" Aizawa said in annoyance.

Mina's attitude drooped, "Yes, sir…" I giggled slightly at her antics.

"Make sure to mind your manners with the heroes at your internships." Aizawa walked away, "Away with you lot."

"Yes, sir!" Everyone but me replied.

I look around to find Midoriya so I can say bye, but I see him and Uraraka running off already in the same direction. I feel kinda sad that I won't say goodbye to him, and I don't know why, but I feel rather bothered that Uraraka is with him

"Hatsume!" Mina runs up to me hugging her briefcase, "Who's agency are you going to?"

I look to Mina and forget about Midoriya for now, "A hero who was a robotics prodigy back in his day. He's retired now and was only a part-time hero."

Mina looks curiously at me, "Is that so? Well, I hope whoever he is will help you and make it a fun experience." Mina set her briefcase down before wrapping me in a hug, "I'll miss you girl!"

"It's just a week." I hug her back.

"Yeah, a week without teasing you and whatnot."

We break off the hug. I turn around to go to my station, but I jump slightly and let out a welp as I feel a sharp smack across my rear. I turn around to see Mina grinning at me mischievously, "The hell Mina!?"

"It's kinda firm, and it bounces too. Ooh, la la." Mina laughs as my face heats up.

"Mina shut it or I will kill you!" I shout with my hands at my sides.

"Oh stop being like Bakugo." Mina laughs more as I huff and turn away. I can feel her rolling her eyes at me, "Oh you can hit me back if it makes you feel better."

I turn my head back to her, "Why'd you do it in the first place?"

"I thought it would be fun, and it was." Mina giggles, "Not my fault you have a bubble butt."

"Bye, Mina." I walk away from my best friend and head to my station. I turn around to see her walking to her train. I take this moment to run back to her and get revenge by swinging my hand across her butt. Mina lets out a rather cute squeak and looks back as I am running away and laughing.

"Hatsume you chicken! Get back here!" Mina shouts to me as I enter my train station to head to my internship location. It takes a couple of minutes to enter my train, but I get to my seat, and luckily, no one sitting next to me.

"Where am I heading to?" I mumble so no one can hear me.

" _To Kamino, Yokohama."_  Tony replies, " _That is where he resides. He's quite old and is retired, but I believe he's currently the best option right now."_

"Retired? Old?" I groan lightly, "So no hero work?"

" _I didn't say that you big baby."_  I sense annoyance in Tony's voice, " _I wouldn't have chosen him if it would be a waste of time."_

"Who am I going to meet anyways?" I've been pondering this for a while, and I want to know now.

" _Let's just say this: He's someone from my generation."_

I feel my heart thump in my chest. I'm meeting another Marvel Generation hero? And this one is still alive?! There's only a few left in the world, so meeting him is a big deal! Ooooh, I can't wait!

* * *

It took about 3 hours to get to Kamino, but when the train stopped, I immediately grabbed my belongings and sped off the train in a hurry.

"Okay, where am I going?!" I ask whist I speed walk through the station.

" _Follow these coordinates, and they'll lead you to his house."_ A few nanites go over my left eye and a map is shown.

"Yeeeees, sir." Without wasting another moment, I take my luggage and follow the coordinates.

It didn't long to find the house since it was a twenty-minute walk. When I arrived, the house looked fancier than the average home. It had a fresh coat of paint, a healthy green lawn with a tree in the middle, a gate that leads to the front door, a garage, and a few flower bushes around it. I walked through the gate and knocked on the hunter green door.

The nanites disappear into my googles as the door opens up to reveal an older man somewhere in his late 60's or early 70's. He wore jeans, a grey jacket over a blue button-up shirt, and white running shoes. His hairstyle reminded me of Midoriya's of how messy it was, but his hair was black. His eyes were rather big and oval-shaped with brown irises and black rectangular eyelashes.

"Well, well, well. So this is the young lady the great Tony Stark was pestering me about last night." The old man laughed with a soft hearty tone, "I'm surprised he's asked me to teach you, but I guess it makes sense given most of the Marvel Generation heroes are in the US."

"Wait," I blink a couple of times, "You know his secret?!"

"He probably lied and said no one knows he is alive on the internet, but that's just it, a lie. Truthfully, only a select few of us know across the world about him living online. I'm the only one in all of Japan who knows." The old man explained as he steps aside, "Come inside Miss Hatsume, we have much to talk about."

I walk inside the house and turn to the elder, "Excuse me, but Tony never told me who you are."

"Really?" The old man questions, "I shouldn't be surprised, that geezer couldn't remember my face even if his life depended on it."

" _Not true, jackass."_  Tony appears next to me with his arms crossed. The old gentleman looks startled for a moment but quickly turns into attraction as he curiously studies Tony.

"Wow! You look like a stuck-up businessman." The older fellow chuckled and made his way into the living room. Tony and I followed him. The old man has a cup of water in his hands and drinks from it. "So, you want me to teach this kid?"

" _Yes, I do."_  Tony sighs, " _I would prefer Reed Richards or Peter Parker, but they're in the US currently. You were the only one in Japan right now so I'm forced to go with you."_

"You make it sound like it's a bad thing." The old man rolls his eyes.

" _You never really matured as a person. You still keep that child attitude of yours. Not to mention you were never a full-fledged hero so your experience isn't as valuable as theirs."_  Tony shook his head.

"And what's wrong with that? A hero's gotta learn that they shouldn't take everything so seriously or they lose that fun side of themselves." The older man drank more water from the cup. "Plus I was a great hero. I didn't make the top 100 on my lonesome, but with my team, we sure made top 20."

I put my hands in front of me, "Wait, hold up," I say, "Just who are you exactly? You never answered that."

"Right." The old man threw his glass cup in the air. I was about to catch it, but a horde black beads suddenly appeared from under my feet and grabbed the cup. They traveled into the kitchen where they put the cup in the sink and came back to form a chair for the old man to sit on. The beads moved him around as they reminded me of nanites. The beads took him into the living room where the elder looked to me with a smile.

"My name is Hiro Hamada, and I am the creator of Nanite Technology."

* * *

 

**Next time on 'Iron Maiden'**

**Hatsume: Hiro Hamada? I never heard of you.**

**Hiro: I'm not surprised. I was with a team most of the time, we were called, 'Big Hero 6.'**

**Hatsume: Big Hero 6? I heard of them!**

**Hiro: You remember us? Well, I'll be damned. Alright kid, let's get started! First lesson: DODGE!**

**Hatsume: Ow! I wasn't ready!**

**Hiro: Villains don't care! You have to be ready for any- ah crap you're bleeding!**

**Tony: What the hell, Hiro?! I said train her not kill her!**

**Baymax: Hello, I am Baymax.**

**Hatsume: That is one puffy, adorable, and huggable marshmallow. I want one.**

**Hiro and Hatsume: Next time on 'Iron Maiden!' Hatsume's Internship! Who is Hero Killer: Stain?!**

**See ya next time!**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this chapter is short; I didn't know how to continue it. Plus, it's not a major event so back to the shorter chapters.
> 
> Also, who was surprised I added Big Hero 6's Hiro Hamada into the story? Not a well known Marvel character even after the movie and TV series came out. I was thinking of Spider-Man and Reed Richards, but then I had to think of what their business was in Japan and couldn't come up with one. That's when I remembered Big Hero 6 and immediately thought of Hiro. Hatsume's second mentor, Hiro Hamada.


End file.
